Harry Potter author J.K Rowling isn’t impressed by "racists" critiquing the casting a black woman to play Hermione Granger.

The casting decision for the new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play was announced in December, with the news prompting criticism from some fans who insist Hermione is a “white character”.

"I had a bunch of racists telling me that because Hermione ‘turned white’ – that is, lost colour from her face after a shock – that she must be a white woman, which I have a great deal of difficulty with. But I decided not to get too agitated about it and simply state quite firmly that Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm," the socially-engaged author said. 

The role of Hermione Granger was originally played by a fair-skinned British actress Emma Watson. However, Rowling herself mentioned that the character’s race and skin color were never specified in the saga.

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