I want these (particularly the Hogwarts one):
Maybe not to the extent of selling a kidney, but seriously close.
[Via io9]
Labels: Art, J.K. Rowling, Posters
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Travel to faraway places...
Maybe not to the extent of selling a kidney, but seriously close.
[Via io9]
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posted by Yulianka at 12:28 PM
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0 comments
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Thursday, June 16, 2011
Six days and counting...
For those of you with boatloads of time on your hands this week, you can keep an eye on the YouTube countdown clock to J.K. Rowling's mysterious Harry Potter-Related Big Announcement. It's pretty boring, but at least the owls are cute.Labels: J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 9:06 AM
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0 comments
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Thursday, April 07, 2011
Who knew?
I had no idea these didn't already exist, but The Hollywood Reporter informs me that J.K. Rowling is considering releasing digital versions of the Harry Potter books. Apparently, this is Big News because the later books in the series are, like, really heavy, and offering ebook versions will spare Potter fans years of back pain*.*Oh, and it might make Rowling up to $100 million richer.
Labels: ebooks, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 2:32 PM
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0 comments
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Friday, July 31, 2009
Break out the cake!
...because The Writer's Almanac informs me it's J.K. Rowling's birthday.Hey, any excuse for cake, right?
Labels: birthday, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Gort79 at 9:11 AM
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0 comments
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Friday, August 01, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Rowling justifies several Harvard tuition payments
NPR has an article up about J.K. Rowling's recent commencement address for Harvard graduates. According to report, everything went extremely well--Rowling was funny, the graduates were touched, and (for once) the crowd of guests probably didn't spend the entire time discreetly checking watches. However, not everyone thought listening to a speech by one of the world's best-selling authors was worth their time. The NPR article includes a quote from computer science major Kevin Bombino: "I think we could have done better... You know, we're Harvard. We're like the most prominent national institution. And I think we should be entitled to... we should be able to get anyone. And in my opinion, we're settling here."
Senior Andy Vaz found Rowling wanting, too: "It's definitely the 'A' list, and I wouldn't ever associate J.K. Rowling with the people on that list.... From the moment we walk through the gates of Harvard Yard, they constantly emphasize that we are the leaders of tomorrow. They should have picked a leader to speak at commencement. Not a children's writer. What does that say to the class of 2008? Are we the joke class?"
Charming!
You'd think all that Ivy League education would have taught these people when it would be smart to keep their mouths shut to avoid coming off like self-satisfied tools with vastly overinflated senses of entitlement... but apparently you'd be wrong.
Labels: J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 10:12 AM
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4 comments
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
Excited about that 800-word-long Harry Potter prequel?
For those of you just turning on your computers, J.K. Rowling has written an 800-word mini-prequel to her Harry Potter series that will be auctioned off for a charity benefiting Dyslexia Action. If you're eager to learn more, click here...or here...
or here...
or here...
for more info.
Labels: Charity, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 1:12 PM
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0 comments
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Thursday, March 06, 2008
Amazon takes one for the team
As most of you probably know, Amazon purchased J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard at a Sotheby’s auction. The purchase price (of £1,950,000!!!) was donated to The Children's Voice campaign, a charity Rowling co-founded to help improve the lives of institutionalized children across Europe. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of five wizarding fairy tales, and is referenced in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's 157 pages long, illustrated and handwritten by Rowling, bound in Moroccan leather, and embellished with sterling silver ornaments and moonstones. Amazon's copy is one of only seven in existence. Amazon has created a website to share images of the book and detailed summaries of the short stories: click here to see more.
Labels: Amazon, Charity, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 10:27 AM
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1 comments
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Life is unfair.
Check out this announcement from Harvard:
J.K. Rowling, author of the world-renowned "Harry Potter" novels, will be the principal speaker during the Afternoon Exercises of Harvard University's 357th Commencement on June 5, 2008.
"Perhaps no one in our time has done more than J.K. Rowling to inspire young people to experience the excitement and the sheer joy of reading," said President Drew Faust. "Her tales of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and their Hogwarts adventures have cast a spell on millions of readers around the world. Harvard isn't exactly Hogwarts, but I'm sure that her visit with us this June will be a moment of magic for J.K. Rowling's many admirers across the University."
"It will be an honor and a thrill to welcome J.K. Rowling to Harvard," said Jonathan Byrnes, president of the Harvard Alumni Association. "There are countless Harry Potter devotees throughout the Harvard family, and we look forward to warmly welcoming one of the world's best-read authors to our Commencement festivities."
Rowling's seven "Harry Potter" novels, published from 1997 to 2007, are among the most popular and beloved books in history. Countless readers have eagerly awaited each new volume chronicling Harry's life as a young, orphaned wizard possessed of extraordinary powers and confronted by formidable challenges as he and his friends progress through the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Global sales of the "Harry Potter" books have reportedly surpassed 375 million copies. The titles have been translated into more than 65 languages and are available in more than 200 countries. The most recent volumes rank among the fastest-selling books of all time, and each of the seven titles has risen to the top of The New York Times best-seller list. When the final novel in the series was published last July, Harvard Square was the site of a night-long festival, and thousands of people, many in their finest wizard costumes, flocked to Harvard Yard to hear a concert by Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, and the Hungarian Horntails.
Passionate about writing since she was 6 years old, Rowling completed the first "Harry Potter" manuscript while struggling to make ends meet as a language teacher and single mother. Her novel was rejected by many publishers before being accepted for publication in 1996. She and her books have since been internationally recognized with numerous honors, and the books have given rise to a highly popular movie series. A devoted philanthropist, Rowling has special interest in efforts to combat poverty, to support multiple sclerosis research, and to aid children and one-parent families. Born in Yate, England, near Bristol, she now lives in Scotland with her husband, Neil Murray, and their three children. [Source]
Man, why am I always stuck going to the boring graduation ceremonies? I'm looking at possibly going to two of 'em this year (one for my little brother, one for Megan), and while I have no idea who their speakers are going to be, twenty bucks says they'll be totally snooze-worthy.
Labels: J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 12:06 PM
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2 comments
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Wordcandy odds and ends
Well, dear readers, we're finally finished: it wasn't quite a week, but we did get through nine book reviews in eight days, so we're feeling pretty proud of ourselves. Meanwhile, though, other Wordcandy blog posts have been piling up, so we're going to try to get through several mini-items at once.
1. We said that we'd do a breaking news bulletin if J.K. Rowling announced her plans to write another Harry Potter book, and sure enough, she came through for us! Well... sort of. Her book of HP-related short stories The Tales of Beedle the Bard might never be seen by the public, so this doesn't really count. And we can't help but agree with the author of the linked article--if she really wanted to donate a huge amount of money to charity, why not publish the book and donate her profits to a deserving cause?
2. Behold, an adorably mod-looking retelling of Cinderella:
3. Check out this surprisingly functional coffee table--an attractive adaptation of a piece of library furniture that I've always coveted:
4. And, last but not least, we were thrilled to see that Jennifer Colt's next McAfee twins book will be out this month, and it's Christmas-themed! And a hardcover! The Con Artist of Catalina Island: A McAfee Twins Christmas Novel is due out on November 20th, and here's the publisher's description:
"In their fourth hysterical outing, Terry and Kerry are headed to Santa Catalina for a family vacation with Aunt Reba and Cousin Robert. But all is not as it appears on this quaint island getaway, as the twins learn when they launch an investigation into the case of a bride, uncovering a nefarious plot that reaches all the way from the shores of Catalina to a defunct Namibian diamond mine. The Con Artist of Catalina Island takes aim at the Patriot Act and the suspension of habeas corpus, while answering the burning question: What happens when you mix a French poodle with a herd of buffalo?"
Ms. Colt's books are always a guaranteed good time, and it will be nice to have another non-sappy Christmas story to sit next to Jennifer Crusie's Santa, Baby on my bookshelf.
Labels: J.K. Rowling, Jennifer Colt, Jenny Crusie, Shopping
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posted by Yulianka at 8:47 AM
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1 comments
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Saturday, October 20, 2007
Rowling shocks the easily shockable (and thrills legions of fanfic writers)
...by announcing over the weekend that beloved wizarding icon Dumbledore was gay!GO, J.K. ROWLING! Hell, if your books are going to be banned left and right anyway, why not strike a blow for equality while you're at it?
[For a rough transcript, as well as several additional details about other HP characters, click here.]
Labels: Censorship, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 2:40 PM
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4 comments
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Friday, August 31, 2007
Another day, another iffy film adaptation
BBC One is making a feature-length film adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's children's classic Ballet Shoes. This production will star Victoria Wood, Richard Griffiths, Marc Warren, and Emma Watson (Harry Potter's Hermione Granger). I'm not sure how I feel about this: on the one hand, the BBC usually does a nice job; on the other, Miss Watson's acting skills have yet to knock my socks off, and I hope she wasn't given the part just to add a little Rowling-mania glitz to the production.Labels: J.K. Rowling, Movie, Noel Streatfield
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posted by Yulianka at 11:27 AM
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0 comments
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Friday, August 24, 2007
Rowling out and about?
MSN.com is reporting that J.K. Rowling has been spotted hanging out in Edinburgh coffee houses, working on what her neighbor, fellow novelist Ian Rankin, described as "her Edinburgh criminal detective novel". Normally, I'd recommend taking any unconfirmed J.K. Rowling news with a heaping teaspoon of salt, but this sounds like a more reliable source than most.Labels: J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 12:01 PM
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0 comments
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Saturday, July 21, 2007
Done!
Well, I've finished the last Harry Potter book, and I'm going to do my best to give a quick, decent, almost-spoiler-free review. I'd divide it into the usual "Good, Bad, Ugly" categories, but that doesn’t seem fair-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has its problems, but nothing about it qualifies as downright ugly.
The Iffy:
Other critics are going to complain about the amount of exposition in this book, and the mildly corny epilogue, and the sluggish pacing, and they're right on all counts... but the biggest problem with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is that it's severely low on fun. It has its laugh-inducing moments, but they're few and far between. While I realize that Rowling was trying to write a Grand Finale, her books are much more readable when the hissing supervillain stuff is leavened with some humor.
The Good:
Well, Rowling certainly came through on her promise to kill off some major characters. There are real losses in this book, both large and small, and I was surprised by how affected I was by a few of the more unexpected deaths. Meanwhile, Snape and Dumbledore are explored in fascinating detail. And while I was disappointed that funny, fiery Ginny Weasley was shoved back into the "supportive girlfriend" role, other minor characters-particularly Neville, Luna, and Kreacher-finally get the treatment they deserve.
The Great:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a worthy finale to the Harry Potter series, one that punishes evil, rewards good, honors the dead, and makes us laugh a few times in the bargain. Bad things happen to nice people, but (unlike certain OTHER authors—yeah, I'm looking at you, Pullman and Collins) Rowling doesn't feel compelled to remind us that life isn't fair by ending things on an unnecessarily depressing note, for which I am truly grateful. Such a solidly happy ending is a rare and generous gift in the fantasy world.
...plus, the reason that Ron and Hermione finally kiss? Totally brilliant.
That said, it’s 5:30 now, and I really need to go to bed. Goodnight, everybody, and happy reading!
Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 5:34 AM
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3 comments
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Thursday, February 01, 2007
If you haven't already heard...
J.K. Rowling made the big announcement today: the seventh and final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be published on July 21. Make reservations at your local book store now, and swing by the forums on the main site to lay your bets in our Harry Potter death pool! (Maybe we'll have to come up with prizes...)
Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, release dates
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posted by Gort79 at 8:33 AM
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0 comments
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Friday, December 29, 2006
Possible release date...?
The Leaky Cauldron is reporting that there's a possible Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release date of July 31, 2007. This information is based on a date provided by Baker and Taylor, a company that provides materials to public and school libraries, so we're hoping it's a fairly accurate source.Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, release dates
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posted by Yulianka at 5:53 PM
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2 comments
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
Book Seven's title is OUT.
And if you'd like to find out for yourself, you could go to Rowling's site, find the hidden game, PLAY the hidden game, and figure it out with nothing but your own mighty brain... or you could just scroll down.
Spoiler Ahoy!
Book Seven's Title will be Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows (unless Rowling is having a little Solstice Fool's Day Joke on us, which I suppose is possible). My initial reaction is a big "meh", but maybe it'll work out better than I expect--I've heard of Arthurian hallows, or the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, so maybe that's what she's referring to?
Anyway, now all we need is a release date....
Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 11:08 AM
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1 comments
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Friday, September 22, 2006
Book seven news
Well, according to this, J. K. Rowling is only half-finished with the final Harry Potter novel, which means that our dream* of one day being famous enough to merit an advance reader copy of a Potter book isn't quite dead yet!*We don't actually dream this. Nobody's that famous. I bet Rowling's publicists would turn down an ARC request from the Pope.
Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Yulianka at 9:09 AM
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0 comments
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Thursday, July 06, 2006
Watch out, Harry!
It seems that Ms. Rowling caused quite a stir during her interview last week, where she stated that two "main characters" won't survive the last book and dropped hints that one of them might be Harry. (It comes as no surprise that she is now receiving hate mail from some of her fans.) What is interesting is that the British company William Hill is currently taking bets as to which character will be the one to off the boy wizard.
"The favourite is Potter's evil nemesis Voldemort at odds of 4/5, but some fans are even mistrustful of his closest pal Ron Weasley, at 6/1." A spokesperson for William Hill, says, "The phones have not stopped ringing since JK said Harry might be killed off. Most of the early money has been for Professor Snape at 5/2 and Draco Malfoy (evil schoolboy) at 6/1. If Harry survives, all bets will be void and money returned. We're praying keen Potter fans haven't worked it out and fleeced us." [Source]
I am not sure who I think would kill Harry (which I don't think will happen) but if I was going to lay money on it I would not be betting on Snape or Draco--way too simple.
Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
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posted by Megwin at 7:06 AM
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2 comments
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Monday, June 26, 2006
J.K. Rowling gives interview, implies much, says nothing.
At left: Harry Potter and the Eyebrows of Doom. Nice wind machine, kids!So, J. K. Rowling has given another interview full of hints that Harry won't survive the seventh book. To which we can only reply: like hell. Setting aside how intense she is about even the mildest book spoilers, and the fact that Daniel Whatshisface isn't exactly up to the task of portraying a noble death scene, what kind of writer would do that to a generation of children? One who's looking to be burned in effigy, that's who.
In other news, Rowling has stated that two "main characters" won't survive the last book. Eh. Her idea of a main character has (so far) been pretty different from mine, so I continue to claim dibs on Hagrid in our ongoing Harry Potter Death Pool. [Source]
Labels: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Movie
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posted by Yulianka at 1:54 PM
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2 comments
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