NEW YORK - Confronted with intransigent security officials at John F Kennedy Airport, JK Rowling found herself in serious need of one of those flying stick contraptions she dreamed up for the young Harry Potter of her best selling wizardry books as an alternative means of crossing the Atlantic.

Ms Rowling's journey home from New York, where she had attended a charity public reading with fellow writers Stephen King and John Irving last month, started to go awry as soon as she reached the terminal.

No Madam, they tried to explain, you will not be taking that package beneath your arm on board. Everything must be placed in checked-in baggage.

These were the days, of course, that followed revelations of a plot by alleged terrorists in Britain to blow airliners en route to the United States and the restrictions, which are largely still being applied to UK-bound travellers in America, were very clear. Even books could not be taken aboard in hand luggage.

But Ms Rowling's bundl