It’s been long enough that fandom has almost forgotten about the Harry Potter Lexicon court case, but the verdict is in… And it’s for Rowling! Once again, I recommend keeping an eye on Cleolinda’s Fandom Wank post for the continuing story.
Beedle the Bard: Just in time for Christmas!
You can go ahead and add a copy of J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard to your Christmas wish list. Sales of the book, which will be released on December 4, will benefit the Children’s High Level Group (CHLG).
You can pre-order either the deluxe collector’s edition or the standard edition from Amazon.
George Lucas back on Forbes’ Celebrity 100
It’s time for Forbes to break out this year’s Celebrity 100 list… And this year, George Lucas comes in at #46. He wasn’t on 2007’s list, but he was #15 in 2006 and #4 in 2005.
Other ranking geek idols include J.K. Rowling (#9,) Steven Spielberg (#13,) Stephen King (#34,) Keira Knightley (#47,) Daniel Radcliffe (#64,) Cate Blanchett (#77) and Tina Fey (#99.)
So, about that Harry Potter notecard…
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel – and the 12 other notecard works from authors such as Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood – are now online for all to read.
UPDATE: Reading Rowling’s handwriting is a bit of a chore, but thankfully there’s something of a transcription over at SnitchSeeker.com. (via)
Potter “prequel” nets £25,000
JK Rowling’s short story for charity raised £25,000 (that’s about $50,000) at an auction held at the Waterstone’s bookshop in Piccadilly, London. Not bad for 800 words. You can watch a BBC reporter read part of the story here.
The stories by JKR and the other authors who participated will be available starting June 11 at the Waterstone’s website. A print version of the stories will be for sale on August 7 from Waterstone’s.
In the Potterverse…
The short, handwritten prequel that JK Rowling penned for charity will be auctioned off today in London. The story features the misadventures of the Marauders and is set three years before the birth of Harry Potter. According to the BBC, the story ends with the words: “From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!”
The money from JKR’s story, plus those of Nick Hornby, Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, Lauren Child, Sebastian Faulks, Tom Stoppard and Irvine Welsh will go to two charities — English PEN (an “international fellowship of writers, working together to promote literature and defend the freedom to write”) and Dyslexia Action.
In other news, Warwick Davis talks about his role as Professor Filius Flitwick.
Google News from a better world
Once you scroll past stories like ‘China Withdraws from Tibet, with Apologies,’ ‘Darfur peace process well underway,’ and ‘Big Three Unveil Emissions-Free Lineup’ on this Google News spoof, there’s also some good news for Serenity, Harry Potter, and Star Wars fans. In theory, anyway… For particularly lazy scrollers, a screencap of the Entertainment section is under the cut. (via) Continue reading “Google News from a better world”
Rowling pens mini Potter prequel for charity
J.K. Rowling is only one of the 13 authors and illustrators that Waterstone’s Booksellers tapped to help raise funds for a British writer’s association and dyslexia charity. Rowling’s contribution is a hand-written Harry Potter prequel outline.
Potterverse update
The Hollywood Reporter reports that it’s tough to say how the whole Harry Potter Lexicon case will go because fair use is complicated. No, really?
The U.S. news program 20/20 will air a special featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the life of J.K. Rowling in November.
Daniel Radcliffe is seeking a mysterious Aussie who caught his eye at a film event Down Under. Shockingly, there seems to be no shortage of mystery women. He claims it was all a joke.
Speaking of Radcliffe, his latest film My Boy Jack aired on PBS’ Masterpiece last weekend. Yes, it might have been more convenient if we told you about this before it aired, but it will probably be repeated throughout the week. In this article, Radcliffe and co-star Kim Cattrall (also known as Samantha on Sex and the City) discuss growing up, Harry Potter and, you guessed it, sex (in the city, anyway).
The Harry Potter Lexicon trial, Day 3
You know the deal, but here are the highlights: USA Today’s overview… The judge (who found the books to be ‘extremely complex’?!?) urged settlement! Legal analysis from fandom lawyers! Protests! Rampant snark!
And could Steve Vander Ark’s haircut be any more inappropriate for a 50-year-old?