J.K. Rowling has made a rare foray into the public arena, joining the actor George Clooney’s campaign to raise awareness of the neglected atrocities in Darfur.

In a letter published in The Times today, the elusive creator of Harry Potter and 13 other leading children’s authors call on governments to demand a ceasefire in the brutal Saharan conflict, backed up by military deployment.

Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of the conflict that has left 200,000 people dead and forced more than two million people to flee their homes and villages. Thousands of people in more than 30 countries will mark the anniversary with a day of protests.

An international coalition of human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, estimates that more than a million Sudanese children have been caught up in the region’s bloodshed, displacement and killing.

“Children in Darfur draw pictures of bombs and guns,” the authors write in their letter. “It is all they have ever known. Childhood is under attack in Darfur.”

Rowling’s dislike of her celebrity status is well documented, although she has campaigned for the Children’s High Level Group, an organisation dedicated to enforcing the human rights of children. She also insisted that Coca-Cola, the official sponsor of the Potter films, donate $18 million (£9.1 million) to a literacy charity.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights organisation Liberty, has cited Rowling as one of her inspirations, saying that “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is all about human rights”, with the Ministry of Magic trying to frame Harry without evidence.

As well as Rowling, some of the most eminent names in children’s literature from around the world have signed the letter. They include Michael Morpugo, a former Children’s Laureate, Tracey West, who has written 30 bestselling books in the Pokemon series, Cornelia Funke, a multiple award-winning German author best known for her Inkworld trilogy, and Judy Blume, who has sold more than 65 million children’s books.

“It is time to change the narrative,” they write. “It is time to tell a different story. This April many children in Darfur will be reaching their fifth birthdays without ever having known peace. The world needs to wake up. For too long it has let these children suffer. Our politicians need to act on Darfur.”

The authors call for the international community to demand an immediate ceasefire, full deployment of UN peacekeeping forces, action against anyone blocking deployment and support for a just peace process.

It concludes: “The children of Darfur didn’t ask for this war, but are living their days caught in the crossfire of reverberating bullets. They must be allowed to be children again. Despite the daily terror they face, they still have hopes and dreams. The world needs to act now to give the children of Darfur a future.”

Clooney said about the anniversary protests: “Days like this matter because they keep what is happening in the eyes of the international community. If we all raise our voices the international community will have to listen and respond. We need sustained international engagement if we’re to see real progress on the ground.”

The list

Mike Berenstain
Judy Blume
Gillian Cross
Anne Fine
Cornelia Funke
Julia Golding
Daniel Pennac
J. K. Rowling
Louis Sachar
Rawya Sadek
Amanda Sthers
R. L. Stine
Tracey West
Michael Morpurgo

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