Star Wars with occasional sarcasm
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)
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.
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.
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.
Myth Adventures author (and filker) Robert Asprin passed away yesterday at his home in New Orleans.
There are plenty of remembrances for him online, including at Boing Boing and MetaFilter.
Timely!
There’s no better time to visit your local comic book store than Free Comic Book Day, aka this Saturday. Although there are no Star Wars titles this year, there will be miniatures from WOTC.
And it’s as good a time as any to try a Star Wars comic or two – I’d recommend going for trades – the first two Legacy graphic novels are out, and Star Wars Tales is always a good bet. (Yes, you can get them at Borders or B&N, but most comic book stores are independently run and could use the support.) Comic fans, what would you recommend?
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).
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?
It’s day two for the case and press coverage hasn’t abated at all, so off to Fandom Wank with you. (Must-reads for today: SVA cries, blames publisher and legal analysis by Praetorianguard.)