NEWS

SUNDAY 25th March 2001

J.K. Rowling has published two new books, `Quidditch Through the Ages` and `Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them`. All proceeds from the sale of these books will go to Comic Relief, a UK charity which raises money to combat poverty all over the world. The books are short, 40 to 50 pages or so, but are a terrific read, and are an essential purchase for all HP fans.

Reuters reports that J.K. Rowling will attend the premiere of the forthcoming film in disguise. It also mentions how much the author is looking forward to the movie.

According to CNN The author who claimed that her ideas had been copied by J.K. Rowling, Nancy Stouffer, will have her `Muggle` stories reissued at the end of 2002.

Coke have signed an exclusive marketing deal worth around $150 million to promote the Harry Potter films. Click this link to find out more.

Some Harry Potter website creators are trying to organise a boycott of HP merchandise following Warner Bros. rather heavyhanded attempts to close fan sites down. Read the report in USA Today for more information.

If you haven`t heard already, a brief trailer of the forthcoming HP movie can be viewed on the Internet. I found the quality to be quite poor, but it does give an idea of how the movie might look. Try the following links to see for yourself. BBC site Warner Bros site

MONDAY 29th January 2001

Character Group PLC, a British based company, says that it is in negotiation for the rights to produce some HP related merchandise. Click here for the article, courtesy of Yahoo.

An article from Daily News Online has some information about the forthcoming publications `Quidditch Through the Ages` and `Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them`. Follow this link to read more.

News of a correction made to `Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire` comes from salon.com. It concerns the order in which the ghosts emerge from Harry`s wand during his confrontation with Voldemort.

Proving that North America does not have a monopoly on stupidity, a school in Australia has banned the Harry Potter books from its library. Read more here.

Some film news now. The The Boston Globe reports that John Williams (of Star Wars fame) will compose the music for the forthcoming film.

MONDAY 27th NOVEMBER 2000

Yahoo! News reports that JK Rowling has received an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh University.

According to CBC the final chapter of Book Seven has now been written. Click the link to read the article.

The Guardian has a report on JK`s failure to be nominated for the Whitbread Prize. Some people have no taste!

Time to check your copy of the first book in the HP series! If you are fortunate enough to own a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher`s Stone, you may be interested to know that one such volume recently fetched more than £6,000 (around $10,000) at an auction. Only 500 of these were printed, 200 paperback copies and 300 hardback. Check the BBC for the full story.

The BBC report that Julie Walters (Educating Rita is probably her most famous film appearance) will play Mrs. Weasley in the forthcoming film. Full report here.

MONDAY 30th OCTOBER 2000

Here is a report on J.K. Rowlings appearance at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto.

A little bit of casting news. Several newspapers and websites report that John Cleese, he of Monty Python fame, will play Nearly Headless Nick in the HP film.

The world would be a better place with no lawyers. As I mentioned recently, a school in England received permission from the author herself to stage a production of Harry Potter and the Philosopher`s Stone this Christmas. Unfortunately, JK`s `legal people` were most displeased when they found out about this and have prevailed upon the author to withdraw permission. However, it is not all bad news for the girls of North Foreland Lodge School, as JK is going to pay them a visit in the near future. Full story here.

MONDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2000

Several agencies have pulled their clients from the Harry Potter film over a row about the salaries being paid to some of the child actors appearing in it. Click here for the full story.

Disappointing news for millions of HP enthusiasts who are eagerly awaiting the release of Book 5. In an interview JK has stated that the book is `not too far along` and will probably not be ready for July 2001, as was first thought.USA today has the full story.

Yahoo News reports on the clash between Warner Bros Harry Potter film and New Line`s Lord of the Rings movie, which is due for release at the same time. Personally, I don`t think the films are aimed at the same audience, but click the link to see the article.

You can read a report of a `teleconference` JK had with reporters last week here. It contains a few interesting comments about the direction the remaining books in the series may take.

The title of the fifth book has been confirmed by JK herself! It will be called "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Read the story here. Jk also mentions that it is unlikely that the book will be ready for July 2001 publication. Looks like we are in for a long wait.

An keen eyed British HP reader has found an error in the published version of Book 4. Click this link to read all about it.

MONDAY 16th OCTOBER 2000

The release of Book 4 in Germany saw ugly scenes as bookshops opened their doors at midnight to allow eager children to buy the book as soon as possible. Read the Reuters report here.

Exciting news! To help Comic Relief, a charity event run in the UK every few years, JK Rowling will be writing two short books with all profits going to the aforementioned charity. They are entitled `Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them` and `Quidditch Through the Ages`. The books will be published on March 16th 2001. Start counting down the days!

Harry Potter has been one of the main attractions at the world`s largest book show, held in Frankfurt, Germany. This report courtesy of Reuters.

Yahoo will be hosting a live chat with JK at 2pm Eastern Time on Friday 20th October. Details can be found here.

MONDAY 9th OCTOBER 2000

J.K. has generously given a six-figure sum to a charity which aids lone parents. Read all about it here.

Reuters reports that North Foreland Lodge, a school in England, will be allowed to stage a performance of Book 1 after receiving special permission from JK herself.

The LA Times reports that the HP books are selling well in China. Click the link for the full story.

More casting news from the Harry Potter Fandom newsletter. Zoe Wanamaker, a well-known British actress, will play Madame Hooch and Devon Murray, an 11 year old Irish boy will take the role of Seamus Finnegan.

MONDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2000

In an interview on BBC local radio J.K. Rowling has expressed concern that her stories may be unsuitable for very young children. Read the full report here.

Chinese counterfeiters have beaten the official publishers in the race to bring Harry Potter to China. The publication date has been brought forward because of this. Read an article in the Times(UK) here.

British HP publishers Bloomsbury have, unsurprisingly, announced a good set of financial results, reports ITN.

MONDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2000

Reuters report a victory for common sense in Canada. The Durham School Board, based near Toronto, have lifted certain restrictions that they had placed on the use of the Harry Potter books in their schools. Read the full article here.

An insight on how the HP phenomenon is affecting China comes in an interesting article from Associated Press. Click the link for the full story.

German Harry Potter fans may be interested in this story over at Yahoo News. A four week seminar is being held at the University of Hanover which will attempt to understand the reasons for the success of the Harry Potter Series.

MONDAY 18th SEPTEMBER 2000

A Harry Potter sourcebook was published on 15th September. The book is entitled `Exploring Harry Potter` and was written by Elizabeth D. Schafer. A report on the book, including a brief interview with the author, can be read here.

Harry Potter is making a big impact in Japan. Book 2 has just been released there to an enthusiastic reception, following sales of 840,000 for Book 1.

Following the well-documented attempts by certain Christian groups to have HP banned from schools, the American Library Association have announced that the Harry Potter series appears in their top 100 chart of books that adults have requested be removed from their shelves. Associated Press have the full story.

Another `witchcraft` story from Jacksonville, Florida. A library has been `persuaded` to stop awarded certificates to children who borrow and read the HP books. Christian parents objected that the children were being `exposed to witchcraft`. Full story here.

The news that HP is to receive a release in China has presented translators with a serious problem as the Chinese authorities are currently clamping down on religious groups whom they accuse of promoting witchcraft. Read the full Associated Press article.

MONDAY 11th SEPTEMBER 2000

Who is the inspiration for Rita Skeeter? An article in the Independent muses on a possible link between the obnoxious journalist who appears in Book 4 and JK`s experiences with the tabloid press.

A school board in Southern Ontario, Canada has placed restrictions upon the use of Harry Potter books in schools. Read the full story here. There are truly sad people out there.

A little bit of disappointing news this week. The Totally Potter Webring, of which this site was a member, is no more. The switch to Yahoo has been causing problems and so Alexandra, the Webmistress, has decided to close it. This is a shame, since it was an excellent HP resource, with many great sites among its members.

MONDAY 4th SEPTEMBER 2000

A vicar in Guildford, Surrey, held a `Harry Potter` service on Sunday in an attempt to attract more young people to church. This churchman obviously has a rather more mature approach to HP than many Christians. As you might have guessed, he has been severely criticised by Christian groups for this innovative idea. Read this Sunday Times article here.

Some enterprising German HP fans could be facing legal action, according to the BBC. "Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire" will not be published in Germany until October, but an unofficial translation of the English text is being circulated already. The publishers are taking legal action on the matter.

A little bit of casting news, courtesy of the Harry Potter Fandom newsletter. Richard Griffiths and Fiona Shaw have been cast as Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Richard Griffiths in particular is perfect for his role. Ian Hart has also been confirmed as playing Prof. Quirrell.

MONDAY 28th AUGUST 2000

Most news this week has, of course, been concerned with Daniel Radcliffe, the lucky young actor who will play Harry Potter in the Warner Bros. film. Here are links to several articles about him. [Sydney Morning Herald] [Reuters] [ITN] [The Times (UK)]

The success of the Harry Potter series has led to increased interest in magic among children. The Magic Circle, an organisation devoted to the practice of theatrical magic, reports that applications from Harry Potter fans have increased membership among 10-18 year olds by 25%. Read the full article here.

An amusing satire on what Chris Columbus may have planned for the Harry Potter film appeared at salon.com. It is well worth reading.

MONDAY 21st AUGUST 2000

Warner Bros have announced that Harry will be played by 11 year old Briton Daniel Radcliffe. The parts of Ron and Hermione have also been cast. They will be played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson respectively, neither of whom have any prior acting experience. Read the full report here.

According to Associated Press, JK Rowling earned more than any other British woman last year. The success of Harry Potter brought her a well-deserved income in excess of $30 million.

The court case brought by Nancy Stouffer against the publishers will be heard in Manhattan, a judge ruled last week. Read the full story here

The news that Gloucester Cathedral will represent Hogwarts in the HP film has been met with a predictable storm of protest from various Christian groups. Check this report in The Sunday Times.

Reuters have an interesting article on the cast for the forthcoming movie.

More film rumours courtesy of Yahoo, including speculation 13 year old Gabriel Thomson has been cast as Harry.

Back to home page

Web hosting Custom Email SiteBuilder