"If we turn our heads and look away and hope that it will all disappear then they will - all of them, an entire generation of people. And we will have only history left to judge us."
The translation was published by India's Manjul Publishing House. Vikas Rakheja, managing director of publishing house, said, "The quality and look of the Hindi edition is at par with international standards."
Edinburgh to honor Rowling with civic award
Posted By Matthew on 06-28-08 @ 8:14 PM - 1 comments | Link
The Scotsman reports today that JK Rowling will be honored for her "outstanding achievements" at a prestigious civics award ceremony held by the city of Edinburgh (the capital of Scotland and her home city) next month. According to the report:
Her handprints will also be immortalised in a Hollywood-style "walk of fame" in the quadrangle outside the city chambers.
The city council hopes the new award will strengthen Harry Potter's links to Edinburgh, boosting interest from fans around the world.
Author Ian Rankin received the first award last year.
Jo establishes charitable trust
Posted By Matthew on 06-27-08 @ 10:39 AM - 5 comments | Link
JK Rowling has established the VOLANT Charitable Trust, which will fund proposed projects related to multiple sclerosis research and the alleviation of social deprivation, with an emphasis on women's and children's issues.
More information about the trust is available at its website, which is now linked to from JK Rowling's links section on her official website. According to the trust's website, it has already reached its limit of MS-related research to fund, but it is still actively considering the funding of other, social projects.
JKR's press complaint rejected by commission
Posted By Matthew on 06-26-08 @ 10:17 PM - 16 comments | Link
The U.K. Press Complaints Commission today rejected a complaint filed by JK Rowling about information about her property published in The Daily Mirror, The Daily Record, and The Scottish Mail. Not only did the publications identify the location of her home, but they also published long-range photos of it, which she felt constituted a violation of privacy.
The PCC, however, disagreed, stating that "[w]hile the commission appreciated that the complainant is someone who guards her privacy closely - and clearly objected to the attention given by the press to her property purchase - it did not consider that there was anything in these articles that contravened the code or the commission's guidelines."
This decision comes after the PCC ruled in Rowling's favor on a similar case against The Daily Mirror in 2005.
'Star Trek' actress joins Dan in 'Equus'
Posted By Matthew on 06-26-08 @ 9:52 PM - 5 comments | Link
Actress Kate Mulgrew, best known for her role as Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, will join Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon) in Equus when it opens on Broadway this fall. Mulgrew is slated to play the character of Hesther Saloman in the production, which will open September 25 at the Broadhurst Theatre at 235 W. 44 St. in New York.
The show will close February 8, 2009. To buy tickets, visit Telecharge.com.
Isaacs talks pre-DH plot knowledge
Posted By Matthew on 06-25-08 @ 10:31 PM - 13 comments | Link
In an interview with ComingSoon.net focused mainly on his work in the Harry Potter movies, actor Jason Isaacs (who plays Lucius Malfoy) discussed the bit of the plot of Deathly Hallows that JK Rowling shared with him prior to its release.
He said, "Before it came out, I wasn't quite sure – there was a point where I wasn't sure I was going to do [it] anymore because there wasn't much for me to do in number five and I wasn't in number six. I met Jo Rowling for the first time at a big awards dinner. I went over and basically fell to my knees and said 'Get me out of prison, I beg you.' She looked over her shoulder and looked back at me mouthing, 'You're out. Chapter One.' And that was it, that's all I had to know, and I signed up immediately."
Isaacs also said that he is "very excited" to reprise his role in the seventh and final film, and also that "the woman who is playing my wife I've been a fan of for a very long time. In fact, one of the great things about going to do Harry Potter at all is that a lot of people who are my acting idols I see sitting in make-up chairs beside me. To get to do scenes with Gary Oldman and Richard Harris, Michael Gambon and now Helen McCrory, who I'm a big fan of – it's fabulous."
First HBP teaser poster released
Posted By Ana on 06-24-08 @ 2:31 PM - 46 comments | Link
ComingSoon.net published this morning a new image from Amsterdam's Licensing International Expo 2008, showing the first teaser poster for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Unfortunately, the picture only shows the official logo of the film, but we hope that means something big is coming soon.
Posted By Ana on 06-23-08 @ 5:42 PM - 29 comments | Link
Warner Bros. today confirmed, through SnitchSeeker.com, 60 international release dates for the film adaptation of Half-Blood Prince, which will open in American and British theatres on this November 21st.
The first to see the movie will be Egyptians and Belgians fans, followed by German, Greek and many other countries’ ones.
Posted By Matthew on 06-20-08 @ 10:08 PM - 2 comments | Link
In the magazine's latest batch of lists ("new classics"), Entertainment Weekly has dubbed Goblet of Fire No. 2 on the list of new classic books, saying, "The first three Harry Potter novels were pure kid stuff, and then, unexpectedly, Rowling went epic and dark - killing children, resurrecting evil, and sending Harry to war."
EW also included Sorcerer's Stone among the new classic book covers and GOF again for a new classic death scene. The statement that the first three books were "pure kid stuff" is certainly debatable -- soul-sucking dementors do not exactly fall into the realm of lollipops and rainbows -- but the sentiment stands.
Posted By Matthew on 06-19-08 @ 4:31 PM - 5 comments | Link
Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, Chanel has announced that, while they maintain a close relationship with actress Emma Watson, they have not signed any contracts with her, and she is not slated to become the company's new spokeswoman. Rather, Chanel clarified that their relations with Keira Knightley, their current spokeswoman, are "totally solid."
Emma has worn Chanel dresses to recent Harry Potter movie premieres, which likely fueled the rumors. Meanwhile, we should note that Chanel did not issue a categorical denial of the prospect, just that there is "no contract" now. Thus, a possibility remains that Emma could eventually sign on as Chanel's spokeswoman, but that is not presently the case.
Early edition of book one manuscript auctioned
Posted By Matthew on 06-18-08 @ 11:46 PM - 3 comments | Link
The National Film and Television School held a lavish auction at Old Billingsgate market in London this week, where an uncorrected proof manuscript of JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was on the block. The going price for the rare manuscript was driven up after two additional prizes were added -- a tour of the Harry Potter movie set by Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) along with a kiss from Coltrane and actors Hugh Grant and Daniel Craig, who were all at the auction.
In the end, Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of the owner of the James Bond franchise, laid claim to the manuscript for £19,000 ($37,500).
Video clips of Dan at the Tonys
Posted By Matthew on 06-16-08 @ 12:29 PM - 5 comments | Link
Last night, Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter movies) jointly presented the award for Best Play at the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Thanks to DanRadcliffe.co.uk, we now have a video of their award presentation, which can be seen here, along with an interview conducted with Dan on the red carpet at the event.
Dan will reprise his role as Alan Strang in Equus on Broadway starting September 25. The show, which will play at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street), will run through February 8, 2009.
TV reminder: Dan at the Tony Awards
Posted By Matthew on 06-15-08 @ 1:16 AM - 10 comments | Link
In case you've forgotten, the Tony Awards will be held tonight in New York City, and Daniel Radcliffe is slated to be one of the presenters at the show. To watch, tune in to CBS at 8pm EST/7pm CST. It is not yet known which award Dan will present, but we'll find out later tonight. Best of luck to him!
Kobe Bryant relies on Harry for a rebound
Posted By Matthew on 06-14-08 @ 2:31 PM - 23 comments | Link
After a deflating loss to Boston that put the Celtics within reach of clinching the NBA championship, basketball legend and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant revealed how he is attempting to rebound: through Harry Potter.
Instead of focusing on team's recent troubles, Bryant said that he read five chapters of the books to his daughters to get his mind off the stress. He said, "They just wanted me to read them and I swear, it was awesome. He had more problems dealing with Voldemort than we have dealing with the media and the Celtics."
We'll see how helpful Harry proved to Kobe when the Celtics and Lakers meet again for Game 5 tomorrow (Sunday).
OOTP nominated for SyFy Genre Awards
Posted By Matthew on 06-13-08 @ 10:01 PM - 6 comments | Link
The nominees for the 2008 SyFy Genre Portal Awards have been announced, and the Harry Potter franchise got its fair share of nods this year. Not only is Order of the Phoenix nominated for Best Movie, but Daniel Radcliffe is up for Best Actor, Emma Watson is nominated for Best Actress, and JK Rowling is one of five figures being considered for a Lifetime Achievement award.
The voting period, which will last for one month, will start on June 25 on SyFy Portal. Readers can vote up to one time a day. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on August 13.
Rowling, Radcliffe among most powerful celebs
Posted By Matthew on 06-12-08 @ 4:20 PM - 2 comments | Link
JK Rowling clocks in at #9 on Forbes' annual list of the 100 most powerful celebrities in the world, followed by Daniel Radcliffe at #64. According to Forbes, last year's publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows earned Jo a whopping $300 million, edging out Oprah Winfrey to become the best-paid celebrity in 2007.
Of Jo, Forbes writes: "It was wizardry that transformed J.K. Rowling from a destitute single mother on welfare into a best-selling billionaire." A more detailed look at the list can be seen here.
Full text, video of JKR's Harvard speech
Posted By Matthew on 06-11-08 @ 9:42 PM - 0 comments | Link
Harvard University has now published the full text of JK Rowling's speech -- entitled "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination" -- at the school's commencement ceremony last week and posted a video of her address as well. In order to watch the video, visit this page and click on "Video archive: Morning Exercises" near the bottom of the page.
If you would like, a two-minute slideshow pieced together with audio snippets of her speech is available at the same page, under "Magic at Afternoon Exercises." Enjoy!
HP prequel sold at auction, now available online
Posted By Matthew on 06-10-08 @ 11:03 PM - 35 comments | Link
The handwritten, 800-word Harry Potter prequel that JK Rowling wrote for charity was auctioned off in London tonight, fetching a remarkable $48,900 (or $61.13 per word) for a writer's group and dyslexia charity. Jo wrote the prequel on both sides of a 5.75 by 8.25 inch index card.
To our delight, Waterstone's has posted the complete prequel on its website for all to read - check it out!
12 other authors also wrote stories of similar lengths for the charities, but in total, the sums raised by the others at the auction failed to match Jo's selling price. Overall, the auction raised $92,200 for the charities.
Davis: Flitwick 'light relief' in HBP
Posted By Matthew on 06-09-08 @ 8:22 PM - 4 comments | Link
In an interview with MTV News, actor Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick) spoke about his role in the upcoming Half-Blood Prince movie, saying that his character serves as "light relief" in the film. "My character seems to get involved in fun stuff now," he said. "I've had an immensely enjoyable time again. It's a real honor to be a part of number 6."
Davis also expressed satisfaction with the recent decision to split Deathly Hallows into two films, saying: "I think that's a good idea because when you try and squeeze these quite lengthy novels into a two-hour movie, a two-and a half hour film there is gonna be stuff that's left out. There's so much in the last book, I think it'll make two really good films. It's worthy of that."
HP sparks increase in abandoned owls
Posted By Matthew on 06-08-08 @ 12:47 PM - 6 comments | Link
An animal rescue center in Flintshire, Wales is placing the blame for an increase in abandoned owls on the Harry Potter series. According to the Flintshire Wildlife and Pet Rescue Center staff, the books have increased childrens' interest in having owls for pets, but because the animals require such a high level of care (which average families generally cannot provide), they are often abandoned after a time.
Joy Pierce Jones, co-owner of the rescue center, said, "Harry Potter was definitely one of our biggest downfalls. People have been phoning up rescue centers, wanting to buy an owl for their children.
"Owls just aren't suitable as pets, and while they are generally friendly, they do have their off days and can bite.They can quite easily take your eye out or ear off."
Jo speaks on failure, imagination
Posted By Matthew on 06-06-08 @ 2:13 PM - 6 comments | Link
In her widely lauded commencement speech at Harvard University on Thursday, JK Rowling focused primarily on two themes, which are reflected in the title of her address: "The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination."
The Harvard Gazettereports that she left audience members "spellbound" with her deeply personal -- and oft-witty -- story. Audio of the speech is available at The Scotsman's website, along with a partial transcript. Further quotes can be read at the Gazette's website.
Rowling arrives at Harvard for commencement
Posted By Matthew on 06-04-08 @ 11:53 PM - 8 comments | Link
JK Rowling arrived at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts today, where she will deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2008 tomorrow. According to The Harvard Crimson, the school's student newspaper, Rowling is only the fifth woman to speak at Harvard's commencement since 1950. In addition to speaking, she will receive an honorary degree from the university tomorrow.
Tonight, Jo attended a dinner at Harvard's Loeb House for honorary degree candidates (there are 11), a photo of which the Crimsoncaptured on camera. Tomorrow, she will deliver her address between 2:15pm and 4:00pm EST in Harvard's Tercentenary Theatre, which is outdoors. You can watch her speech at video2.harvard.edu, which will stream the event live once it begins.
The weather forecast is in the mid-50s with a slight chance of rain.
Daniel named as Tony Awards presenter
Posted By Matthew on 06-03-08 @ 11:15 AM - 4 comments | Link
Daniel Radcliffe, who will star as Alan Strang in Equus on Broadway this fall, has been named as one of the presenters at this year's Tony Awards, to be held June 15 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is not yet known for which category Daniel will present the award.
Other presenters include Alec Baldwin, Kristin Chenoweth, Glenn Close, Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter films), Laura Linney (who co-starred in Rupert Grint's Driving Lessons), John Lithgow, Liza Minnelli, Mary-Louise Parker, Brooke Shields, and Marisa Tomei.
New photos from 'Half-Blood Prince'
Posted By Matthew on 06-01-08 @ 2:37 AM - 42 comments | Link
This weekend, two new photos from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have surfaced, one showing Harry standing pensively in a hallway with a stained glass window and the other showing the confrontation between Snape, Malfoy, and Filch at Slughorn's Christmas party. Check them out here, courtesy of Oclumencia!
"Fine, I'll try and teach him again!" Snape snarled at Professor Dumbledore.
"Severus, please, for me, don't take all those old wounds that you gained from James out on Harry. Harry is not James - do not blame him for what happened." Dumbledore spoke quietly, but his blue eyes held a warning. Snape sighed in frustration...
Disclaimer: Veritaserum is run by fans and is for the fans. We are in no way official and are not affiliated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., EA Games, Scholastic, or Bloomsbury. We do not own any of the characters in the books, movies, or games.
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