[ Home ] [ Up ] [ HP Movies Page ] [ JK Rowling ] [ HP in the News ]

July 10, 2003

Don't Try This At Home (Duh!):  A 21-year-old woman set her home ablaze while trying to create her own Harry Potter "potion."  She mixed together a brew of olive oil, surgical alcohol and toothpaste, starting a  fire that destroyed part of her apartment.  The unidentified victim was treated for smoke inhalation.

July 9, 2003

Pirated OotP:  4 Czech boys face criminal charges for posting a homemade translation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the internet.  The official copy of OotP isn't being released until January 2004.  "I don't think we are breaching any author's rights," said one of the boys.

But Mr Muller, the director of the publishing house said: "We warned them that we should release the official Czech translation at the same time as the English language books because this could happen but they took no notice."   "I don't see why readers here should have to wait such a long time."

Number 4 Privet Drive up for sale?  Well, it seems the house used for the dreaded Dursley's domain for scenes from the Harry Potter films is to be auctioned in London on July 22.  Apparently it was chosen  by a film location-spotter because it was so dull!  The going price for the house is £250,000, and realtors are expecting people to be anxious to own this piece of Harry Potter history.  Not only that, it actually has a cupboard under the stairs.

Rare books sold at auction: Among the books sold were an uncorrected proof copy of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone sold for an amazing £2,600 and a first edition of Pride And Prejudice.  More from Ananova

May 18, 2003

As you probably have heard, some pages from the latest HP novel The Order of the Phoenix were found in a field near Clays Ltd., a firm which will print hundreds of thousands of copies of the new book, in Bungay, Suffolk.  It seems that it was plot involving Donald Parfitt ( a  44  fork lifter driver at Clays)  and two teenagers.

Parfitt tried to sell the stolen pages to The Sun newspaper £25,000.  One of the teenagers has written a 3 page letter of apology to Rowling.

Read more at Ananova

 Jan. 22, 2003

Rupert Grint has purchased a new house for his family.  Rupert, better known as Harry's best friend Ron Weasley, has moved into a £600,000 five-bedroom house with his parents, brother and three sisters.  Their new home is one of six on a private island on the River Lea in Hertford.  Red-haired Rupert, 14, is thought to have earned £500,000 bringing Harry’s loyal friend Ron to life in the films based on JK Rowling’s books.  More...

Nov. 3, 2002

From Ananova: Chinese company fined for fake Potter books

JK Rowling has won her case against a Chinese publishing company which re-published translated Harry Potter books and created bogus Potter adventures in her name.  More...

October 29, 2002

Dench and Smith Together on Stage

Two of Britain's most famous actresses, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith have taken to the stage together to star in a new play, "The Breath of Life" by David Hare. 

The two Oscar winners were born within three weeks of each other in 1934 and are close friends.   

Both women have won Oscars. Smith has two -- for "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "California Suite" Dench has one for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in "Shakespeare in Love." Both have won a Tony for Broadway performances.

More...

September 29, 2002

LONDON (Reuters) - The Harry Potter wizard sagas outgunned "Lord of the Rings" and the tales of Winnie the Pooh as the top children's books of all time, according to a poll on Monday.

Educational publishers Kumon polled 1,000 adults and 1,000 children on their favorite read.

J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" came out top for both kids and adults with her sequels "The Goblet of Fire" and "The Chamber of Secrets" coming a close second and third.

The late Roald Dahl proved to be a crowd-pleaser for both generations. The author of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" had six books in the top 20.

JKR Stalker Deported

Melissa Cho, an American woman, has been deported from England.  A Home Office officials says, "She (Melissa Cho) was removed from the UK as an immigration offender."  She was to stand trial for a second time on charges of harassment, her first trial was heard in the Edinburgh Sheriff court on June 21.  According to British newspapers, Ms Cho  harassed JKR with endless phone calls and  letters.  She even went as far as pretending she was a beneficiary of a trust JKR had set up in order to get more personal information about the author.    More...

July 14, 2002

Sotheby's Auctions Rare Books

A copy of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," signed by author J.K. Rowling, sold for $16,660 at Sotheby's on Friday, July 12, 2002.  

At the same auction a 250-piece library collection featuring a series of rare works by Charles Dickens fetched the remarkable sum of $512,650.  One of the original 250 copies of Beatrix Potter's "Peter Rabbit" sold for $64,780.

MPAA sets up DVD anti-piracy fund

The MPAA had not said how much it would pay for each tip.  In addition to the tip fund, it has also has set up a 24-hour confidential telephone hot line and an e-mail address in hopes that more people will report DVD piracy in Asia.

The MPAA estimates the film industry loses almost $6 million in Asia and $3 billion (U.S.) worldwide from piracy.

July 5, 2002

Fake Book 5 Published in China!

Harry Potter  and Leopard-Walk-Up-To-Dragon is here!  Or at least it's in China.  Too bad  it's fake, being  written by a Chinese author for a Chinese audience.  

Rowling's agent, the Christopher Little Literary Agency in London, said it was aware of the fake Chinese Harry. A spokeswoman who asked not to be identified refused to comment by telephone, but sent The Associated Press an e-mail saying, "We are taking this issue extremely seriously."  More...

June 30, 2002

Blame it on the Onion?

Most HP fans know all about the Onion's famous HP story that was circulated as a genuine article by many foolish people, condemning HP for converting children to Satanism.  Well, here is another story which is very similar. 

An aspiring writer who penned and distributed a hoax letter falsely attributed to Mayor Sylvia Sutherland denouncing last fall's Harry Potter movie as "satanic" and "evil" got 100 hours of community service and a year of probation yesterday.

 I am guessing that the hoaxter mistakenly thought the Onion's story was the genuine article:

"In what Mr. Justice Rhys Morgan referred to as 'several layers of deception'  the Web site itself turned out to be satirical and the criticisms he appropriated were also bogus."

More...

May 14, 2002

Celebrating British Children's Authors:  London's National Portrait Gallery has now decided to celebrate the unique contribution of British authors to children's literature in a new exhibition.  From J. M. Barrie to JK Rowling, it's a pretty impressive list!  More...

April 7, 2002

The music from the HP is the highest new entry in the Classic FM Hall Of Fame.  John Williams' soundtrack to the film entered the annual list at number 81!

Top 10:

1 - Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor
2 - Bruch - Violin Concerto No.1 in G minor
3 - Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending
4 - Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor
5 - Mozart - Clarinet Concerto in A
6 - Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat (The Emperor)
7 - Vaughan Williams - Fantasia On A Theme by Tallis
8 - Beethoven - Symphony No.6 (Pastoral)
9 - Elgar - Enigma Variations
10 - Barber - Adagio for Strings

March 20, 2002

A drama teacher who invented a Harry Potter's Quidditch for a games field has been given permission to recreate the game around the world. Mid Wales teacher Elaine Curry created a down-to-earth version of the game played on broomsticks.  More from Ananova...

March 8, 2002

JK Rowling has banned Swedish radio from reading parts of the Harry Potter books on air.  She was apparently upset that a children's program had used passages from the books without her permission.  Under Swedish law, radio and television stations can broadcast readings of published works without approval from the author, as long as they pay royalty fees. 

However, if authors explicitly state they don't want their books read on the air, the broadcasters must abide, Swedish radio lawyer Gunhild Frylen said.

The conflict started when radio officials contacted Rowling's agent with questions on where to send the royalty money, she said.  More from Ananova...

March 3, 2002

HP Stays in Classroom says Saskatoon RC school board:

The Saskatoon Catholic school board has decided to allow Harry Potter books to be used in the classroom despite claims from some that the novels are ungodly and evil.  "Fantasy is fantasy," Dick Nieman, the superintendent of education told a school board meeting Wednesday night. "A young child reading these books would recognize fantasy and would have no difficulty in distinguishing fantasy from reality." Nieman said that fantasy is an effective teaching tool.

"Ultimately what does Harry Potter have to teach us? That goodness prevails over evil, that love prevails over hatred, that peace prevails over violence and life prevails over death. This is the message of Catholic education."  More...

February 17, 2002

Ananova Reports...

The Harry Potter books and George Orwell's Animal Farm are among 26 books that were banned from schools in the United Arab Emirates.  The Ministry of Education banned the books because they were said to contain "written or illustrated material that contradicts Islamic and Arab values," reports the Al-Hayat newspaper.  

The paper said the banned books contain pictures of alcoholic drinks, pigs and other "indecent images".  It also says it insults Arabs and Muslims and had false historical references, such as using the word Israel instead of Palestine, either in maps or in written texts.  The ministry warned private schools to abide by its decision and required them to present a list of books to be taught to students.

HP and the Philosopher's Stone Stone 1st edition:  A first edition of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone has been bought at auction in London for just under £10,000.  It was bought by a private collector for nearly four times the expected price.

January 17, 2002

JK Rowling is starting to edge out Catherine Cookson in the library world as the UK's most popular borrowed author.  More from Ananova...

January 17, 2002

Argonaut won a licence to develop a Harry Potter game for Electronic Arts.  The company was awarded the deal after the success of its PlayStation game that was based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.  The game has been number one in the UK PlayStation charts every week since its release in November and has had strong sales in the US, Europe and Japan.  The details of the new game are being kept secret but it ought to be ready for release later this summer.

January 11, 2002

Michael Gerber has written a Harry Potter parody, but is worried Warner Bros. will miss the point.  Hmm.  It's not like they've ever done that before. His story,  Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody, is really a compliment to JKR's genius.   More...

January 2, 2002

HP fans in Otley, West Yorkshire are planning a 50 hour HP read-a-thon to raise money for a breast cancer charity.  More...

HP Hateline

A Harry Potter hater in Austria, Alois Gmeiner, has set up a "hate line" for people to call and complain about the Harry Potter phenomena.  The founder plans to publish a book  containing the messages in it.  When a caller rings up they get a message telling them: "Get it off your chest, tell us how much you hate Harry Potter."  The phone line has been so successful it has been extended to Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.  

Lois Gmeiner refuses to comment on what he will doing with the 75p minimum charge he's getting for each call, but added: "I will be giving ten free copies of my book to the callers when it comes out later in the year."

The UK number for the line is 0043 196 233, while those in Austria dial 0900 5151216, in Germany 0190 800 276 and in Switzerland 0906 906 381.

Dec. 24, 2001

A license plate featuring Harry Potter's surname has sold for nearly £4,500 at auction.  The plate - POT 73R - had a reserve price of £2,400.

Christian authors study ‘Harry Potter’ series

By KAREN MacPHERSON
BLADE WASHINGTON BUREAU

When Connie Neal first read the Harry Potter books a couple of years ago, she was looking for examples of how the best-selling series ran counter to her family’s Christian values.

To her surprise, however, Neal, a Christian author and activist, discovered that the books by J.K. Rowling actually could be used to illuminate traditional Biblical precepts in a culturally relevant way.

Instead of explaining to her three children why they couldn’t read the Potter series, Neal created Bible study lessons from the books. Each week, Neal’s family would gather with friends and neighbors to read the books and discuss how the actions of various characters highlighted the Bible’s teachings on right and wrong.

Now Neal has collected these discussions in a thoughtful new book, What’s a Christian to Do With Harry Potter? (WaterBrook Press, $12.95). Laced with references to the Bible, Neal’s book celebrates "the tremendous opportunities afforded Christians by the Harry Potter books and the worldwide interest they have generated.

"I propose that the Harry Potter books are deeply moral and can be highly instructive as ‘training in righteousness’ if one rightly aligns these stories to scripture,’’ Neal writes.

As one example, Neal compares Lord Voldemort, the champion of evil in the Potter books, to Satan. She points out that Voldemort’s effort to kill the baby Harry was thwarted by his mother, who gave her life to save her child’s.

"Volemort’s power was broken when Mrs. Potter willingly sacrificed her life for Harry; Satan’s power was broken when Jesus died on the cross to sacrifice his life for us,’’ Neal writes.

In another example, Neal believes that the lightning scar on Harry’s forehead, a result of Voldemort’s attempt to kill him, "can symbolize that God cast Satan down like lightning,’’ Neal states. "Satan’s power is not equal to God’s.

"So while we have to resist the evil one, we don’t have to live in fear. We see this in the way Harry and Dumbledore are not afraid to say Voldemort’s name.’’

In her book, Neal writes that other Christians might see real danger in Rowling’s series.

Richard Abanes is the author of numerous books warning of the dangers of the occult for Christians. In his new book, Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick (Horizon Books, $11.99), Abanes argues that the Potter series presents a psychological and spiritual danger to Christians.

Abanes notes that Harry and his friends break rules, talk back, and consistently disobey adults. For him, the books are filled with the kind of occult practices prohibited by the Bible, and aren’t proper reading for young Christians.

For Neal, however, the books offer a wonderful way of teaching children how to recognize and confront evil in our culture.

"Occult themes have become prevalent, even acceptable, in our culture, so exploring these issues with our children doesn’t pose any new or added spiritual threat,’’ Neal argues. "To whatever degree the debate over Harry Potter has spurred us to educate and equip our kids to overcome evil with good, it turns into a blessing!’’

©2001 The Blade

Harry Potter? Gladiator? Those were all my ideas

Linwood Barclay LIFE COLUMNIST

TODAY I am formally announcing my intention to sue the woman who is suing the woman who wrote the Harry Potter novels, as well as the woman who wrote the Harry Potter novels, and the publishers of the books written by the woman who is suing the woman who wrote the Harry Potter novels, and the publishers of the books written by the woman who wrote the Harry Potter novels. J.K. Rowling, the woman who wrote the Harry Potter novels, is being sued by Nancy K. Stouffer, of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, who did not write the Harry Potter novels but, back in 1984, published a book titled The Legend Of Rah And Muggles which included a character named Larry Potter, as well as a character named Lilly Potter. Ms Rowling's principal character, of course, is Harry Potter, and she also has a character named Lily Potter, and the term ``muggles'' is used frequently by wizards to describe humans. In Ms Stouffer's book, ``muggles'' are little people who care for two orphaned boys. Ms Stouffer says Ms Rowling ripped off her ideas to write her four best-selling Harry Potter books, which have made Ms Rowling enough money to buy France, which she has decided not to do, because she has already bought Spain. Well, I have news for Ms Stouffer. I say she ripped off my series of books from the late 1970s, Jerry Otter, Private Eye, the only series of children's books ever written, to my knowledge, about a slimy aquatic carnivore that, by day, ate small animals, birds, frogs and crayfish, and by night, solved crimes. (Perhaps the best known of the stories was Jerry Otter And The Mountain Of Muggles, the key word, used here for the first time, being used to describe things left behind by otters, as in: ``Whoa, don't step in that pile of muggles on the floor.'') This was followed up with another series, Sherry Potter, the adventures of a little girl who acquires magical powers once she is totally blasted on Harvey's Bristol Cream. ``Muggles'' was the name of her man-eating pit bull. (I'd be the first to admit that this series of children's books did not do as well as I had hoped, for reasons that still elude me.) I wish I could say that the similarities between my work and theirs ended there, but such is not the case. For example, Ms Stouffer and Ms Rowling used the same sort of chapter numbering system as I did. I kicked off all my books with Chapter 1, followed by Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and so on. When you think of all the ways I could have done this, like starting with Chapter 15, and following it with Chapter 7, and then maybe Chapter 22, what are the odds that these two other authors would organize their novels in exactly the same way? A coincidence? I think not. I am seeking $10 million from Ms Rowling, and $5 million from Ms Stouffer, who can pony up with me once she settles her lawsuit with Ms Rowling. My lawyers are prepared to take this as far as they have to, unless of course they run into some unexpected problems, like if they ask me to produce copies of the books I allege were plagiarized. This seems like a good time to mention my other pending legal action, which is aimed at the producers of the movie Gladiator. Also named in the suit are the director, screenwriter, key grip, sound technician, and the fake blood suppliers, for lifting the idea for the film from my own script, Plaidiator, which was the same as Gladiator in every respect, except that instead of wearing armour in the big battle scenes, all the characters were dressed in golf slacks. Linwood Barclay Copyright 1996-2001. Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved.