Jk Rowling Page 8

Harry Potter fans everywhere are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' with cool Facebook features, new releasese on Pottermore and a sweet message from Jk Rowling.

JK Rowling at the 2017 BAFTAs

Explore the full history of the Potter family on Pottermore today as JK Rowling unveils a piece of writing exploring her boy wonder's most eccentric ancestors 20 years following her success with her debut novel. 

Continue reading: Here's How Fans Are Enjoying The 20th Anniversary Of Harry Potter

A valuable handwritten Harry Potter story by Jk Rowling has been stolen along with other items from a property in Birmingham a few weeks ago, and the author is urging anyone who's offered it to not buy it. The piece of writing is a prequel about one of James Potter and Sirius Black's adventures.

JK Rowling at the BAFTA Awards

The apparently untitled story is worth a massive £25,000 ($32,200 USD) after it was sold to a private bidder a charity auction nine years ago. It was written by Rowling's hand herself on two sides of a piece of A5 card, but was taken in a burglary at a house on Howard Road in Kings Heath some time between April 13th and 24th 2017.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Appeals To Her Fans Over Theft Of Rare Harry Potter Story

The 2017 nominations for the West End's most prestigious prize ceremony, the Laurence Olivier Awards, have been announced and Jk Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' is soaring above them all with eleven mentions altogether including Best New Play - almost breaking a record.

JK Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' nominated for eleven Laurence Olivier Awards

The play, which opened in London in July 2016, is currently up for Virgin Atlantic Best New Play against the likes of 'Elegy', 'The Flick' and 'One Night in Miami'. Plus, Jamie Parker who plays the older Harry Potter in the production is nominated for Best Actor in competition with Ian McKellen for 'No Man's Land', Tom Hollander for 'Travesties', Ed Harris for 'Buried Child'.

Continue reading: 'Harry Potter And The Cursed Child' Matches Laurence Olivier Record With Eleven Nominations

Piers Morgan’s headlong crusade to get himself noticed continues apace, with his own son getting in the crossfire of the Twitter spat between him and ‘Harry Potter’ author Jk Rowling this week.

While his father and the famous author were arguing on Twitter about whether Morgan has actually read any 'Harry Potter' books – he claimed last week never to have written a word, despite having written an entire column about it several years ago – Spencer Morgan shared a handful of photos seeming to signify that Piers is a bigger fan than he’s letting on.

Piers Morgan's Twitter spat with JK Rowling rumbles on

Continue reading: Piers Morgan Disowns Son After He Sides With JK Rowling

Jk Rowling made an enemy of Piers Morgan over the weekend, after she shared a clip of Australian comedian Jim Jefferies telling him to “f**k off” on live TV.

What followed was a back and forth Twitter war between the two, during which Rowling displayed her usual 140 characters brilliance and Morgan’s son made an awkward revalation.

Continue reading: Piers Morgan Battles JK Rowling On Twitter (And Makes Life Awkward For His Son)

Jk Rowling has responded to an internet meme about her death, by politely asking fans to please untag her when sharing it.

The presumably well-meaning meme is been shared all over social media and describes how Harry Potter fans will react when she passes away. But for the author, it’s all just a little morbid.

JK Rowling doesn't really like talk about her death

Continue reading: JK Rowling Would Like Fans To Not Tag Her When Discussing Her Death

Jason Isaacs and his onscreen son Tom Felton held a heart warming Harry Potter reunion over the weekend, taking in Universal Orlando's Wizarding World theme park.

The two actors, who played villainous father-and-son Lucis and Draco Malfoy in the film series, also both attended the Universal Orlando’s Celebration of Harry Potter, where they took part in a cast panel alongside Warwick Davis and Matthew Lewis.

Continue reading: Malfoys Unite! Jason Isaacs And Tom Felton Have 'Harry Potter' Reunion

Rumours of a prospective movie series bringing the recent Harry Potter play ‘The Cursed Child’ to the big screen have been reignited, with an entertainment journalist claiming that Warner Bros. is in discussions with the franchise’s original stars to reprise their characters.

The two-part play, co-written by J.K. Rowling, opened at the Palace Theatre in London back in June 2016, and is set 19 years after the events of Rowling’s books. Shows have continued to sell out for months, and rumours of a Broadway production have recently floated.

Daniel Radcliffe has always been asked whether he'll reprise his Harry Potter role

Continue reading: Are There Plans For A Three-Part 'Harry Potter And The Cursed Child' Movie Series?

Jk Rowling is apparently working on at least two new novels; one possibly being the fourth installment of the Cormoran Strike series and the second being... something else entirely. The author has recently launched a brand new website to talk about all of her work.

JK Rowling has two new novels on the way

The 'Harry Potter' author has revealed that she is working on a couple of novels both under her own name and one under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith, which she has only ever used exclusive for her Cormoran Strike detective books 'The Cuckoo's Calling', 'The Silkworm' and 'Career of Evil'. We're assuming that her next Galbraith release will be another Strike adventure - but that's certainly not been confirmed.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Has Two New Novels On The Way

J.K. Rowling has unveiled her new personal website, overhauling the design of the original after it failed to have the impact she wanted, and she kicked it off in style, immediately demanding a “large gin”.

The ‘Harry Potter’ author launched her new site, jkrowling.com, on Tuesday (December 20th). Its homepage features a scroll-down image of lots of things that are littering her work desk, including pictures of her dog Bronte, her phone, scribbled writings and one note that reads “I want a large gin”.

Well don’t we all!

Continue reading: JK Rowling Unveils New Personal Website

The producers of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child are in talks to bring the West End play to Broadway.

The news was revealed on Jk Rowling’s Pottermore site, where producers Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender announced they were in the final stages of talks to transfer the production to the US.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling

Continue reading: 'Harry Potter And The Cursed Child' Is Coming To Broadway

Tilda Swinton has hit out at the Harry Potter films for “romanticising” boarding schools, which she says are “cruel”.

In an interview with The Scots Magazine the actress, who attended the West Heath Girls' School, said she believes children do not benefit from being separated from their parents at a young age.

Tilda Swinton thinks Harry Potter romanticises boarding schools

Continue reading: Tilda Swinton Criticises 'Harry Potter' Films For "Romanticising" Boarding Schools

It's true that the debut of Jk Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' was exciting, but ultimately we are left with so many questions about the next four films. Luckily, we've gleaned enough information from Rowling, David Yates and others about just where the series might be going.

The four friends of 'Fantastic Beasts' are set to re-unite

1. We'll meet a young Dumbledore - Director David Yates recently revealed that he was on the search for an actor to play a 45 to 64-year-old Dumbledore for the upcoming sequels. We knew from clips in the first 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' that he's a big part of Newt's life given that he was one of the only teachers to stand by him when he was expelled, and we know from the books that he was the closest anyone has ever gotten to Grindelwald.

Continue reading: What To Expect From The 'Fantastic Beast' Sequels [Spoilers]

JK Rowling has offered a blunt, curt response to a Twitter user who tweeted his unhappiness about Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore being gay. The user @halfelven55ff apparently claimed he "stopped being a fan" once he knew of the headmaster's sexual orientation, which Rowling revealed during a Q&A session in 2007.

Jk Rowling tackled the Twitter troll head on [Getty/Ben A. Pruchnie]

"Nice how u blindsided us with that one," the user tweeted to Rowling on Saturday (September 6, 2014). "Enjoy your billion $."

Continue reading: JK Rowling Hits Back At Twitter Troll Over Gay Dumbledore

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has penned a short story about one of the series’ very minor characters. Celestina Warbeck, who is referenced as “the singing sorceress” when her name is fleetingly mentioned throughout the series, is one of the handful of 'off-stage' characters that form a tiny but vital part of the Potter universe. Taking the form of a miniature biography, the 500 word piece can be accessed on Pottermore.com.

Jk Rowling has posted a very short story about Celestina Warbeck, one of the minor Potter characters

The press release from Rowling goes on to say “Celestina is referenced in three of the Harry Potter books. The first mention is in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) when Harry hears her name on the Wizarding Wireless Network (wizard radio) while visiting the Weasley home.”

Continue reading: JK Rowling Releases Short Piece About Minor Harry Potter Character

It’s no secret that times have been tough for both authors and traditional publishers since the advent of Amazon. Recently, the conflict has received renewed attention because of the lengthy court battle with publisher Hachette  Book Group. The Seattle-based online retailer is pushing for lower ebook prices, but due to the lack of agreement from Hachette, the court proceedings have been going on for months.

J. K. Rowling was among the 900 authors, who stepped up against Amazon.

This past Friday, August 8, the publisher lauched a grassroots move against Hachette , the online retailer called on its authors to email Hachette  CEO Michael Pietsch directly, giving out his email and outlining talking points for the email activists to use.

Continue reading: As Amazon Appeals To Ebook Authors In Hachette Dispute, Bestselling Writers Take Out Ad Against The Online Bookseller

Over 900 authors including JK Rowling, James Patterson and Donna Tartt, have backed a full-page ad in the New York Times, calling on Amazon "to stop harming the livelihood of the authors on whom it has built its business."

The aggressive tactic is the latest move in a battle which has seen Amazon delay delivery and remove pre-readers on a slew of books by authors from Hachette - the French publisher. Amazon says it is attempting to "lower ebook prices" while Hachette argues that it is seeking "terms that value appropriately for the years ahead the author's unique role in creating books, and the publisher's role in editing, marketing, and distributing them."

Continue reading: 900 Authors Take Out Ad "To Stop Amazon Harming Livelihoods"

What can get a bibliophile more excited than a pretty book cover? A brand new pretty book cover, especially when it belongs to a reprint of the Harry Potter series. After the original editions, the deluxe editions, the adult cover editions, the American covers and countless versions of cool HP artwork on international covers, Bloomsbury are revamping the series with an all new collection of dust jackets, designed by award winning artist Jonny Duddle. Unlike both the original children’s covers and the American covers, the new collection maintains Harry’s look throughout the series.

Rowling played an active role in selecting the artist for the new, "child-friendly" covers.

Duddle, whose picture book The Pirates Next Door won the Waterstones Children’s Prize and was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, was handpicked by both Bloomsbury and J. K. Rowling.

Continue reading: Want To See The New 'Harry Potter' Book Covers?

The buzz over J.K. Rowling’s latest Harry Potter offering is showing no signs of dying down. The 1,500 word story, published on the author’s Pottermore site, was a simple news style piece written in the voice of journalist Rita Skeeter. But it gave us the first update, since the Deathly Hallows epilogue as to what Harry and his friends have been up to. It’s all left us wondering, are there more Harry Potter offerings to come, or is J.K. Rowling really just teasing us?

J.K. Rowling offered fans an update on Harry and the gang on her Pottermore site

If J.K. Rowling just wanted to assure us that Harry, Ron, Hermione and even Neville had all grown up okay she could have easily done that. She could have written a kind of ‘nothing to see here’ style piece, which reassured us and satisfied our appetite for all things Potter, without leaving too many doors opened. But instead, the Daily Prophet article that Rowling posted only left us asking even more questions and threw up endless new possibilities for the members of Dumbledore’s army.

Continue reading: Is JK Rowling's Pottermore Update Hinting That More 'Harry Potter' Stories Are On The Way?

J.K. Rowling really stirred up the cauldron of excitement when she published a new Harry Potter story on Tuesday (8th July) and caused fans to speculate over whether there would be a new film.

J.K. Rowling's short story prompted wide spread speculation about the possibility of a new film.

Read More: 12 Things We Learnt From J.K. Rowling's New Harry Potter Story.

Continue reading: 5 Reasons Why A New Harry Potter Film Is Unlikely

Seven years on from the final Harry Potter book, Jk Rowling has treated fans to a brand new short story about everyone’s favourite wizard on her website, Pottermore. The 1,500 piece takes the form of a Daily Prophet gossip column, penned by cutting journalist Rita Skeeter. In tabloid style, Skeeter gives an update on what’s happened to Harry, Hermione, Ron and a few others as the Quidditch World Cup finals take place. So what did we learn about Harry and the gang after reading Rowling’s latest writings?

JK Rowling has given fans an update on Harry Potter

1. Harry is still a pretty big deal

Continue reading: 12 Things We Learnt From JK Rowling’s New Harry Potter Story

Dolly Parton has offered to take the dog found at the Glastonbury Festival home with her. Dolly the Dog, named after Parton who was headlining at the festival, was discovered abandoned during the clean-up operation.

Dolly Parton headlined at Glastonbury this year.

Read More: Dolly Parton Goes TO Glastonbury, Gets A Tonne Of Fans And Maybe Even A Dog.

Continue reading: Dolly Parton's Glastonbury Dog & 5 Other Celebrity Acts Of Kindness

J.K Rowling's Pottermore addition last week, introducing fans to thirty-something Harry Potter and chums, may have been met with clamorous excitement by fans but gave one actor a sinking feeling. Daniel Radcliffe, who made his name as the titular boy wizard, saw Rowling's new chapter as forewarning that he'd need to reprise his fantasy role for another movie.

Apparently Radcliffe's fears were assuaged by the British author, who sent the actor a text reassuring him that she won't be writing any more film featuring Harry, ergo there'll be no more Potter films, probably.

Rowling sent her fans dizzy with excitement when she posted a new chapter set 16 years after Voldemort's defeat. Written in the style of a tabloid article penned by busy-body Rita Skeeter, the 1500-word story featured Harry, Ron and Hermione aged 34 Quidditch World Cup Final in the Patagonian Desert.

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling Reassures Daniel Radcliffe That There’ll Be No More Potter Films, Probably

Following J. K. Rowling’s announcement of a brand new Harry Potter short story, fans (who are now sane, rational adult humans, for the most part) went by-and-large crazy over the possibilities. Could there be a new book coming? What about a new movie? Maybe Hogwarts really is there to welcome Potterheads home, but it won't be with another HP book or film.

Jo Rowling isn't willing to mess with a good thing.

The first person the media went to in the frenzy was Daniel Radcliffe, who is not really open to returning to the franchise, unless Rowling is actually working on something movie-worthy. In the past, the author has indicated that she wouldn't be writing any more books about Harry, and a spokesperson reiterated as much to the Bookseller on Tuesday. But the Harry Potter universe is a vast and profitable place and Rowling has a whole world of short stories, spin-offs and expansions to choose from. Potter fans (this writer included) tend to eat up any new writing by Rowling, let alone things related to the boy wizard.

Continue reading: Unless Rowling Is Pulling A Beyonce, Another HP Film Is (Thankfully) Off The Cards

Harry Potter fans everywhere will be going ecstatic!

The author of the teenage wizard book series, J.K. Rowling, has given a sneak peak into the adult lives of Hogwarts's favourite characters after the final isntalment ended.

Rowling wrote a short story, 1500 words long, on her Pottermore website that depicts the adult lives of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, many years after their storied adventures.

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling Releases 'Harry Potter' Short Story, Detailing Adult Lives Of Famous Trio

J.K. Rowling has released a short 1500 word story on Pottermore detailing the lives of Harry Potter and the rest of the Hogwarts gang 16 years after they defeated Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. 

Jk Rowling has written a short story about the famous trio aged 34.

The story is written from the viewpoint of Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter who continues to meddle and gossip monger. Harry, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley are all attending the Quidditch World Cup Final in the Patagonian Desert where Skeeter is celebrity spotting. The four friends and now couples are still hugely popular and Skeeter reports how large crowds have turned out to see them. 

Continue reading: 16 Years After Voldemort's Defeat, J.K. Rowling Reveals What Harry Potter Is Like Aged 34

Hey Potterheads, remember that fluffy epilogue at the end of Deathly Hallows? The-One-That-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned in fan circles? Well, J. K. Rowling has added some new writing to the HP series and – you guessed it – it’s more of that 19 Years Later story. We can already see you rolling your eyes, HP fans, but JKR writes what she wants to write. And you’re obviously going to read it. In case you couldn’t think of any more loose ends that needed tying up after we found out even the name of Draco’s kid… well, our beloved series creator thought of some. Hurray.

The Trio is back in new writing from JKR.

So we know that Harry is an Auror, still happily married to Ginny, Ron and Hermione are also still together, and apparently Harry is getting the rough end of the stick over at his job as Auror for the Ministry of Magic. If any of those words don’t ring a bell, go back and re-read book 7, then move on to the chapter/second epilogue.

Continue reading: Hey Potter Fans: J. K. Rowling Reveals The Ultimate Fate Of The Trio In Short Story

Jk Rowling makes a less than subtle reference to the phone hacking scandal in her new crime thriller The Silkworm. Writing under her pen name Robert Galbraith, Rowling appears to draw upon her own experiences of giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry after suffering press intrusion.

JK Rowling's 'The Cuckoos Calling' [Photo: Getty images, credit: Jordan Mansfield]

The Silkworm follows private detective Cormoran Strike supplying details to a journalist of a scandalous affair between a member of the House of Lords and his secretary. During one passage, the hack asks Strike how he persuaded the woman to speak with him.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Goes After Phone-Hacking "D*cks" In Novel 'The Silkworm'

Warner Bros. has issued the release date of the first film in the Harry Potter spinoff trilogy.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' is slated to hit theatres on November 18th 2016.

The film studio completed Jk Rowling's 'Harry Potter' film franchise almost three years ago with the release of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011,' but last September it was confirmed the wizarding world would be returning to the big-screen.

Continue reading: JK Rowling's Harry Potter Spin-Off 'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them' Gets Release Date

The BBC and HBO are involved in making a miniseries based on J.K Rowling’s first book for adults, ‘The Casual Vacancy’. In December 2012, the BBC announced that it would be adapting the book for television but it has now revealed that the novel will be made into a three-hour miniseries, co-produced by the BBC and HBO.

J.K Rowling's The Casual Vacancy was the author's first novel for adults

The book, while receiving mixed reviews from the critics, proved to be a commercial success for Rowling, who receives intense publicity and scrutiny every time she writes new material. It sold 125,000 copies in its first week of publication and more than six million copies since then.

Continue reading: HBO/BBC Pick Up J.K Rowling's 'The Casual Vacancy' For Miniseries

It has been announced that J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter spin-off, the 2001 wizard textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", will become a film trilogy as the now-legendary author teams up with Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara.

J.K Rowling will pen three new films for Warner Bros. based on the Potterverse

The main character of the trilogy will be Newt Scamander, a "magizoologist" but the spin-off won’t be set before or after the events we all know and love from the 8 Harry Potter films; rather, it will sit alongside them to further expand the legend.  

Continue reading: The Potter Magic Won't Stop - J.K Rowling Penning Spin-Off Film Trilogy

Jk Rowling's new Harry Potter spin-off, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,' will be made into a film trilogy.

The book, which was originally published in 2001 (between the fourth and fifth addition), was originally billed as one of Harry Potter's Hogwarts textbooks.

Warner Bros chief Kevin Tsujihara has reportedly persuaded Rowling to create the spin-off into a big-screen film series.

Continue reading: JK Rowling's Harry Potter Spin-Off To Be Made Into Film Trilogy

Jk Rowling has added to her already extensive Harry Potter universe by writing a new post for her fansite, Pottermore.com. Rowling may have already written all the Potter books she intends to but that doesn't mean she can't keep building her extraordinary imaginary universe. Entitled History of the Quidditch World Cup, Rowling's new writing details the origins and rich history of Quidditch, the popular sport played on broomsticks.

JK Rowling Has Delighted Her Fans With A New Addition To The Harry Potter Universe.

Half of Rowling's new Potter-based writing was made available today, with the other half scheduled for Friday 21st March. All together, the history will be a 2,400-word account of the magical sport that has seen fans across the world captivated. Harry Potter spent a great deal of his time at Hogwarts school either training for or competing in Quidditch matches, meaning the sport is tightly interwoven into the Potter lore.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Writes Harry Potter Quidditch History Post On Pottermore Site

J.K. Rowling will publish a second novel under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

The 'Harry Potter' author used the alias for 2013's crime fiction 'The Cukoo's Calling,' which followed private investigator Cormoran Strike.

Rowling's forthcoming novel, titled 'The Silkworm', will be a sequel to Galbraith's first novel and will continue to depict the adventures of Mr Strike, notes The Hollywood Reporter.

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling Will Publish Second Novel 'The Silkworm' Under Alias Robert Galbraith

J. K. Rowling is publishing a second novel under the Robert Galbraith pseudonym, the author has announced. Rowling may have just found her niche in the crime genre. Galbraith’s second novel (Rowling’s tenth) is tentatively titled The Silkworm. It begins when a writer, Owen Quinn, is murdered after writing malicious descriptions of everyone he knows into his new manuscript. Cormoran Strike, the detective Rowling introduced in her first novel under the Galbraith pen name, is hired by Quinn’s wife to investigate the disappearance and the connection to his manuscript.

This is Rowling's second book under the pseudonym, third adult novel and the tenth book in her career.

"At first, Mrs Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days – as he has done before – and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home," runs the newly released description of The Silkworm (via The Guardian). "But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives – meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced. When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer."

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling Puts Her Robert Galbraith Hat Back On For Novel, 'The Silkworm'

From crime to questionable erotica, this year’s list of the most borrowed books in the UK is a diverse mix. Plot twist: the first three spaces are occupied by British authors this year, with Lee Child’s The Affair and A Wanted Man topping the list and E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey coming in third. It seems like readers of the E. L. James’ steamy novel are overcoming their embarrassment about reading it.

Lee Child and E. L. James have tapped into the human psyche, or the British one, at least.

The success of Fifty Shades has previously been attributed mostly to the rising popularity of e-readers, which allow readers to avoid public embarrassment. Critics might want to revise that theory now – it doesn’t get more public than borrowing a library copy of Fifty Shades. The book was the most borrowed title in Suffolk and Essex between June 1012 and June 2013, according to information from the Public Lending Right scheme released today.

Continue reading: Crime, Cooking And... 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' - Most Borrowed Books Survey Reveals Brits' Favorite Subjects

Earlier this week, J. K. Rowling admitted in an interview that she thought Harry might have been a better match for Hermione at the end of her best-selling series. The author told the magazine Wonderland that she "wrote the Hermione-Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfilment", and that "for reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron".

Rowling's announcement was followed by waves of panic or triumph.

She also mentioned that the likely outcome of Ron and Hermione’s marriage would be relationship counseling. Rowling must have learned by now that it’s best not to mess with HP fans’ favorite characters – even if she happens to be the woman, who created them in the first place. Fans, who like Ron and Hermione just the way they are, were quick to mobilize online.

Continue reading: Fans (Over)React To J. K. Rowling's Hermione Clarification

Jk Rowling has spoken frankly about the relationship of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter books, admitting for the first time that the romance made little sense and was invented "for very personal reasons, not for reasons of credibility."

Rupert Grint [L], Emma Watson [centre] and Daniel Radcliffe [R]

Rowling was speaking to Wonderland magazine - of which Emma Watson is presiding over as guest editor - when she discussed her reasons of pairing up Hermione and Ron, instead of Harry.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Concedes Ron And Hermione's Relationship Made Little Sense

Years after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J. K. Rowling continues to reveal new background information about her characters – much to the dismay of a lot of Potterheads. In an interview with Emma Watson in Wonderland magazine (and teased in yesterday's Sunday Times), had she been given a chance to rewrite the relationships between the Trio, Rowling might have done things differently – and Ron might have never ended up with Hermione.

Seven years after the last book, Rowling Reminds Us She Still Owns The Characters, and our souls.

“I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfillment,” Rowling said. “That’s how it was conceived, really. For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron.”

Continue reading: J. K. Rowling Breaks Fans' Hearts, Says Hermione Should Have Ended Up With Harry

With the Harry Potter books/films all sewn up, J.K Rowling has been indulging in some other projects. Thoughts, though, often wander towards her seminal work, and her decision to see Harry off with Ginny, and Hermione off with Ron is playing on her mind; it should have been Potter and Granger walking down the aisle, she’s admitted to Wonderland magazine.

Radcliffe & Watson should have ended up together, regrets Rowling

"I wrote the Hermione/Ron relationship as a form of wish fulfilment. That's how it was conceived, really,” she explained in the rare interview, which was conducted by Emma Watson while guest editing the publication. “For reasons that have very little to do with literature and far more to do with me clinging to the plot as I first imagined it, Hermione ended up with Ron."

Continue reading: Vote: Should The Harry Potter Story Have Ended With A Hermione And Harry Marriage?

Jk Rowling wasn't kidding around when she vented her frustration over being outed as the writer of The Cuckoo's Calling last year. The book was written under a pseudonym, and it turns out it was a lawyer who revealed the Harry Potter author as the true writer.

JK Rowling arrives in London in 2011

According to the BBC, lawyer Chris Gossage was the leak in the case. He reportedly told his wife's best friend about Rowling's connection, and has since been fined by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Continue reading: Lawyer Fined For Revealing JK Rowling As The Author Of 'The Cuckoo's Calling'

Even after the publication of two successful novels following her Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling just can’t help but return to the world of the Boy Who Lived. In a move that feels somewhat George Lucas-like to us, the author has announced that she is not only planning, but actively working on a play about Harry’s pre-Hogwarts years.

Rowling has been keeping busy since the final Harry Potter novel.

Harry’s ten years, spent in the cupboard under the stairs don’t really sound like thrilling subject matter. On the contrary, it sounds like things are about to get very dark, as according to Rowling herself, the play will "explore the previously untold story of Harry's early years as an orphan and outcast."

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling After The Harry Potter Series: The Boy Wizard To Be Taken To The Stage

They may have wrapped up the eighth and final film in the Harry Potter franchise a while back, but Emma Watson and Jk Rowling were back in the magical world they created, alongside fellow Potter stars, Alan Rickman and Warwick Davies, for a charity event that raised over £1 million.

J.K Rowling takes in the crowd at the Deathly Hallows Part II Premiere

The charity, Lumos, aims to dissolve a culture of systematic institutionalized child care in Europe, reunite families, and provide loving and caring environments for children to grow up in.

Continue reading: Harry Potter Reunion: J.K Rowling And Emma Watson Unite For Lumos Charity

We get the idea: when you’ve got one of the highest grossing movies of all time under your control, it would be foolish not to milk it a bit. But with Warner Bros. trademarking yet another part of the Harry Potter universe, it got us wondering, could every single future film be a Potter spin off or some kind?

So far, Warner Bros. have got their hands on Scamander, the Tales Of Beedle The Bard, Quidditch Through The Ages, the name of quidditch expert Kennilworthy Whisp and team names Wimbourne Wasps, Chudley Cannons and Kenmare Kestrels. (Bleeding Cool)

This suggests the Quidditch spin off is nailed on. This comes in addition to the trademark of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, which, as Warner Bros. announced earlier on this month, is set for a cinematic reimagining from page to screen. Fans of the Potter franchise – and there are plenty of those – will be delighted to see their universe explored further via the medium of cinema.

Continue reading: Exactly How Many Harry Potter Spin Offs Are There Going To Be!?

After the announcement was made that Warner Bros. would be producing J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the studio has sparked speculation about more potential movies. According to the Metro, the studio has also taken out patents for Quidditch Through the Ages, The Tales of Beetle The Bard and Quidditch Expert Kennilworthy Wisp. In addition, the studio has also taken out trademarks on Quidditch teams Wimbourne Wasps, Chudley Cannons (some Potterhead trivia: the Cannons are also Ron Weasley’s favorite team) and Kenmare Kestrels.

The author's new film franchise is moving full speed ahead.

So does this mean that there might be further Harry Potter spin-offs in the work? Rowling has released three Harry Potter companion books – Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and of course, Tales of Beetle the Bard. So far, Rowling has announced that she is working on the script for Fantastic Beasts, to be produced by Warner Bros., so it would make sense to adapt the two other books as well. Then again, the trademarks could have just been an early measure to prepare for characters and detailes featured in the Fantastic Beasts film – the studio is yet to announce any additional spin-offs.

Continue reading: Warner Bros. Are Doing The Trademark Thing Again: Could "Fantastic Beasts" Be Just The Beginning Of A New Franchise?

J.K. Rowling has been handed her screenwriting debut by Warner Brothers to begin writing the script for a Harry Potter spin-off film called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The boy with a scar on his forehead will not appear in these books, nor will Ron, Hermione nor any of the other Hogwarts populace, and will take place about 70 years before the start of the first HP book.

Rowling will make her screenwriting debut with the film

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them may sound familiar to some Potter-fanatics, and that's because it has appeared in the original series of book a number of times as one of the student's text books. The name was also used for a special one-off booklet written by Rowling in aid of Comic Relief, in which she listed and described the many mythical creatures that exist only to witches and wizards. Following the ficticious book's author Newt Scamander and beginning in New York seven decades before The Philosopher's Stone took place, Rowling has since assured fans that despite the time gap, the “laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films.”

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling To Begin Writing 'Harry Potter' Spin-Off Movie 'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them'

Two years ago, Samantha Shannon was a nobody - certainly in the literary world. A 19-year-old slaving away as an intern like thousands of other aspiring writers, she put her mind to realising her dream - writing a fantasy novel.

Two years later came the manuscript for The Bone Season, a 480 page novel that's already being likened to Jk Rowling's Harry Potter. Snapped up at the first time of asking, the book has already been sold in 20 countries and hits shelves today (August 20, 2013).

Andy Serkis - who plays Golum in the Lord of the Rings movies - has bought the film rights to the book from publisher Bloomsbury and will begin work on a big-screen adaptation with his company The Imaginarium.

Continue reading: How A 19-year-old Intern Wrote 'The Bone Season,' The New Harry Potter

In Harry Potter world, the boy with the scar on his face is very much a man. In fact, he’s 33 now; his kids are probably starting Hogwarts and the Potters are sitting at home, wondering if their little ones have an evil overlord looking to kill them and enslave the rest of the world.

Happy Birthday J.K. Rowling!

That’s right, Harry Potter turned 33 yesterday in the legend, and J.K. Rowling – it’s rude to reveal a lady’s age – had a birthday, too. To celebrate, Rowling probably went for a nice meal and moaned some more about those idiots that revealed her pseudonym. Harry, on the other hand, has a new look to his books, as brand new covers have been issued for novels 1-7.

Continue reading: Birthday Refreshments For 'Harry Potter' - But They're New Book Covers

J. K. Rowling has reportedly been reimbursed by the lawfirm responsible for leaking her identity as the author behind the crime novel The Cuckoo’s Calling. After the book was revealed to be by Rowling, the author quickly began legal proceedings against Chris Gossage, an employee of the solicitors’ firm Russells, who was responsible for the original leak of information and against his friend Judith Callegari, who then released the information to the media over Twitter.

The author has settled for an apology and a donation to her pet cause.

Ms Rowling's solicitor Jenny Afia told the court her client, who was not present during proceedings, "has been left dismayed and distressed by such a fundamental betrayal of her trust". Sales of the book, which had been getting good reviews under Robert Galbraith’s name, spiked after the reveal, however Rowling claimed that she had wanted to keep it a secret a while longer.

Continue reading: Law Firm Responsible For "The Cuckoo's Calling" Reveal To Make Charity Donation As Reimbursement To J.K.Rowling

J.K. Rowling has accepted, in lieu of further legal action, a sizable charitable donation from the law firm which leaked her identity as Robert Galbraith, the author of The Cuckoo's Calling.

J.K.Rowling at the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.

The critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful crime novel The Cuckoo's Calling was revealed to have been written by Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith earlier last month. 

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling Wins Charity Donation In Pseudonym Leak Court Case

Happy birthday J. K. Rowling! Happy Birthday, Harry Potter! Today the author of the world’s favorite series about an orphaned boy wizard there ever was turns 48, while the boy wizard himself turns 33 (yes, we know it’s not real, hush now!). In honor of this momentous occasion, we have compiled a list of our Top 5 favorite things about the author. It was certainly difficult, because, outside of her very strict policy on copyright, there really is a lot to love and admire in Rowling. Still, here goes.

Rowling is certainly a role model.

5. She wrote a book under a pseudonym. After Harry. Freaking. Potter. Seriously, imagine the money Rowling could have made announcing and promoting the book months in advance. Ok, so she did actually make all that money when the hoax was revealed, but it wasn’t intentional! And anyway, according to USA Today, the charitable author is donating the worldwide royalties from the book to The Soldier's Charity, a British charity that provides support for soldiers, veterans and their families. Which leads us to…

Continue reading: Happy Birthday To The Boy Who Lived And His Creator! Five Reasons To Love J. K. Rowling

Robert Galbraith, the author of The Cuckoo’s Calling, has now been revealed to be nothing more than an alter ego for J. K. Rowling, but that doesn’t mean the persona doesn’t have a fascinating persona regardless. For example, in case you were wondering how Rowling came up with his unusual name… well, she’s not too sure herself.

Not exactly the picture of a "military man"

But the Cuckoo’s Calling author did reveal part of the reason behind the pseudonym on his… her website – the page still bears the Robert Galbraith name.

Continue reading: But Why Robert Galbraith? JK. Rowling Reveals Reasons Behind Curious Alter-Ego

When Jk Rowling published The Cuckoo's Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, she hadn't expected to be outed so fast by a crack team of investigative journalists and Oxford University linguists who cross-referenced the crime novel with other authors to eventually choose Rowling as key suspect. JK did give up the game when she was questioned, but said she found it "liberating" to create a male alter-ego and write without the weight of expectation that the Harry Potter franchise inevitably would bring regardless of the adult audience.

*Thumbs Nose* "Don't Pretend You Weren't Fooled, World!"

In an FAQ section on the 'Robert Galbraith' website, JK Rowling has hit back at rumours that the leak was orchestrated by her publisher to maximise sales in a tough economic climate. "If anyone had seen the labyrinthine plans I laid to conceal my identity (or indeed my expression when I realised that the game was up!) they would realise how little I wanted to be discovered," she wrote in response to the question "Was revealing the true identity of Robert Galbraith not simply an elaborate marketing campaign to help boost sales?" She said "This was not a leak or marketing ploy by me, my publisher or agent, both of whom have been completely supportive of my desire to fly under the radar. If sales were what mattered to me most, I would have written under my own name from the start, and with the greatest fanfare."

Continue reading: JK Rowling: 'The Cuckoo's Calling' Pseudonym Reveal Was "NOT A Marketing Ploy"

Jk Rowling has confirmed she has completed the sequel to her detective novel The Cuckoo's Calling and will publish it in 2014. The original book, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, is expected to be the first in a projected series featuring investigator Cormoran Strike.

The Cuckoo's Calling sold only a few hundred copies before the Harry Potter was outed as the writer by The Sunday Times. It subsequently shot to No.1 on the hardback fiction charts, selling 17,662 copies last week and overtaking Dan Brown's Inferno and James Patterson's Second Honeymoon. 

Speaking on 'Robert Galbraith's' official website, Rowling explained how she arrived at the name of her alternative persona, fusing her political hero Robert F Kennedy and her childhood fantasy name Ella Galbraith. 

Continue reading: JK Rowling Finishes Sequel To 'The Cuckoo's Calling,' Set For 2014

Is it really a surprise that as soon as the veils of pseudonymity were torn down from the latest novel that Harry Potter author Jk Rowling tried to sneak under the radar as 'Robert Galbraith', fans of one of the world's most famous authors would clamour in their rabid hoardes to snatch up a copy of crime thriller The Cuckoo's Calling?  Not really.

That Knowing Look: JK Kept Her Secret Identity Under Wraps.

As soon as the Sunday Times' 'investigative' journalists got on the case of the critically-lauded ex-military man's debut novel - even employing an Oxford linguist to cross reference 'Cuckoo' against other author's work - Galbraith's days as a viable pseudonym were numbered. The 'unmaskers' patted themselves on the back as the world went crazy for Rowling's second adult novel since 2012's The Casual Vacancy. The author herself was left exposed and she saw sales on bookseller Amazon rise 507,000% in the wake of the newspaper's grand show of unmasking the 47 year-old as more than a wizards and wands writer.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Rakes It In From Crime Novel After Pseudonym Is Scuppered

While the reveal of J. K. Rowling as the author behind The Cuckoo’s Calling has made the book skyrocket in popularity and probably earned the writer some hefty royalty fees, the author is not pleased. An outing in the Sunday Times was not the intended, nor  way for her authorship to come to light. Rowling blames law firm Russells for the untimely leak. According to the author, she was assured by Russells of their employees’ complete discretion.

Despite those royalty checks, Rowling was not amused. 

"To say that I am disappointed is an understatement," she said in a statement. "A tiny number of people knew my pseudonym and it has not been pleasant to wonder for days how a woman whom I had never heard of prior to Sunday night could have found out something that many of my oldest friends did not know," she added.

Continue reading: Legal Firm Responsible For J.K.Rowling's 'Cuckoo's Calling' Leak

J.K. Rowling was revealed as the woman behind pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith', the author of The Cuckoo's Calling, by a law firm leak. Despite Russells Solicitors' apology, Rowling is "disappointed" and "angry" that her trust was misplaced.

J.K.Rowling at the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The Sunday Times had gone in search of answers after suspicions were aroused by a literary analyst, who noted Galbraith's writing had similarities to Rowling's. They received confirmation of the author's true identity, it was revealed yesterday (Thursday 18th July), by a law firm Russells. 

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling's 'Anger' At Law Firm Over Robert Galbraith: The Cuckoo's Calling Leak

It's easy to see why Jk Rowling wanted to publish a book under another name. After her first post-Potter adult novel A Casual Vacancy was released, every aspect of the writing was torn apart by critics and the media; her writing crushed under the weight of expectation and comparison. 

Rowling Probably Didn't Want Her Adult Fiction Compared To Harry Potter.

Sure, Harry Potter made her a mega-millionaire but the author didn't want to put away her typewriter and lounge around in piles of cash, she wanted to write more, for completely different audiences. So Rowling assumed the guise of Robert Galbraith, a first-time author "with a background in the army and the civilian security industry" and enlisted the help of her editor, David Kelly, who she now describes as a "true partner in crime" to get crime novel The Cuckoo's Calling into print.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Fooled The World Under Pseudonym: But How Was Her Secret Uncovered?

J.K. Rowling was living out Stephen King’s dream when she wrote The Cuckoo's Calling as Robert Galbraith, enjoying the anonymity bestowed on her by that pseudonym. King, who wrote under the name Richard Bachman, praised the practice while bemoaning those clever Internet folks that spotted his ruse.

Rowling enjoyed writing as Galbraith

"I would have told her it's an impossible secret to keep for long," King told USA Today. He "got outed as Bachman by someone who recognized my style, and in these days of the Internet, that becomes more and more likely," but for him, "Jo is right about one big thing — what a pleasure, what a blessed relief, to write in anonymity, just for the joy of it. Now that I know, I can't wait to read the book." Rowling said she had "hoped to keep this secret a little longer".

Continue reading: Stephen King On J.K. Rowling's Pseudonym - 'What A Pleasure'

J.K. Rowling's latest work, The Cuckoo's Calling, was turned down by at least one publisher. Yesterday (Sunday 14th July), Kate Mills of Orion publishing house admitted she had rejected the novel. This was following Rowling's admittance that she had penned the crime novel written under the male pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith'.

J.K.Rowling at the premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Rowling's first work Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone was initially turned down by publishing powerhouse Bloomsbury. The company eventually did pick up the novel and the subsequent series. The Harry Potter books have been translated in 64 languages and remain the bestselling series in history. 

Continue reading: JK Rowling's 'The Cuckoo's Calling' And Other Famous Authors Who Suffered Publisher's Rejection

By now the world of publishing is feeling the full effects of J. K. Rowling’s revelation this past Sunday. In case you’ve been stranded on a desert island through the weekend, The Sunday Times outed Rowling as the mysterious writer behind the crime thriller The Cuckoo’s Calling, ostensibly written by first-timer Robert Galbraith (Rowling sure has a flare for names.) It was no surprise that sales of the book soared within the hour, but the exact amount was stunning.

No wonder Galbraith turned down media appearances.

The "Movers and Shakers" section of Amazon, which charts gains in sales by the hour, says sales of the book are currently up by more than 507,000%.” This prompted the Oxford Street branch of Waterstones to tweet: "SPECIAL OFFER: For today only, ALL of our books were written by Jk Rowling!" While Rowling was receiving praise left and right for the clever trick (A spokesman for Waterstones called it “the best act of deception since Stephen King was outed as Richard Bachman back in the 1980s.) Some took the news as an opportunity to comment on the state of the publishing industry – more or less.

Continue reading: 'The Cuckoo's Calling' Explodes In Popularity After J.K.Rowling Is Revealed As Author

J.K. Rowling, author of the hugely popular Harry Potter series, admitted she had published a detective novel under the pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith'.  Her announcement was made on Sunday 14th July after a newspaper followed up on a hunch that the 'two' authors shared very similar writing styles. The novel, entitled The Cuckoo's Calling, was published in April of this year. Despite receiving critical acclaim the novel sold less than 500 copies.

J.K.Rowling at the London premiere of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in 2011.

One publishing house, Orion, has admitted their mistake in turning down the novel. The publishing director, Kate Mills, said Rowling's latest work was "perfectly decent, but quiet". She continued to say that it was "well written" but concerned that "it didn't stand out".  Mills claimed this is a serious problem when attempting to launch "new authors" in crime fiction when it is already "a very crowded market". 

Continue reading: J.K. Rowling Published 'The Cuckoo's Calling' Under A "Liberating" Pseudonym

There's little wonder that the millionaire Harry Potter author and focus of persistent media attention Jk Rowling would seek to publish new material under a pseudonym. Under the crushing weight of her previous works, which also include post-Potter adult fiction The Casual Vacancy, any subsequent Rowling writing will naturally be subject to fierce scrutiny and unnecessary comparison to her wizard teen fiction that charmed the world and spawned an eight-part movie franchise. The Cuckoo's Calling storyline focusses on Cormoron Strike, a war veteran-turned private investigator whose skills are called upon when a model plunges to her death from a balcony.

JK Rowling Fooled Readers Under The Pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith.'

Sneaky Rowling certainly fooled them all - from readers to reviewers and even crime writers, no one was any the wiser that Robert Galbraith may not have been who he claimed to be until The Sunday Times had a poke around, wondering how a writer's first work - and one "with a background in the army and the civilian security industry" at that - could be so self-assured and critically successful. Aside from similarities in style, it was uncovered that Rowling and 'Galbraith' shared a literary agent and editor and The Cuckoo's Calling was published by Sphere - the same publishers as The Casual Vacancy, according to The Sunday Times as reported by BBC News.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Poses As Military Man & Fools The World With Crime Novel

It is confirmed: pint-sized popstar Justin Bieber and manager Scooter Braun, are set to be blasted towards the real stars, out into space.

Tycoon Richard Branson, founder and chairman of travel, entertainment and lifestyle company, Virgin Group, was first to break the news on Twitter: "Great to hear @justinbieber & @scooterbraun are latest @virgingalactic future astronauts. Congrats, see you up there!" whilst a buzzing Bieber replied: "Let's shoot a music video in SPACE!!"

The 19-year old 'Baby' hitmaker could be fleeing planet Earth to escape from his growing list of shameful actions that have brought the wayward party-boy under media scrutiny, including leaving insensitive messages in the guestbook at Amsterdam's Anne Frank museum, abandoning his pet monkey, 'Mally', in Germany after she was confiscated at customs, arriving onstage two hours late at his concert in London, and threatening to "beat the f**k" out of a photographer. Space might just be the best place for the little reprobate then.

Continue reading: Stars Head For The Stars: Justin Bieber Joins The Virgin Galactic Party

Sure, you probably all own a copy of the first Harry Potter book, but do you own the very same copy of the first Harry Potter book that its own author J K Rowling has? No, of course you don’t, because she does. However, you could have it soon, if you want to bid on it at auction.

That’s right, the British writer who achieved worldwide fame and a multi-million fortune off the back of a wizard with broken glasses and a scar on his forehead, is putting her own personal copy of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone up for a bidding war, with proceeds from the sale set to go to charity, according to the Express.

Rowling hasn’t kept her book squeaky clean; it’s littered with personal annotations and comments from the author, which might well be annoying for the new prospective owner if it had been anyone else doing it – however as it was the person who actually wrote the thing that’s probably cool. Who knows, maybe somewhere in there she’s written down a secret different ending, where Voldemort trounces the school boy at the first hurdle thus rendering the rest of the books obsolete? We doubt it. The auction will take place at Sotheby’s in London tomorrow (May 21, 2013).

Continue reading: Own JK Rowling's Personal Copy Of The First Harry Potter Book!

Potterheads the world over, rejoice! A secret, ninth film about the boy wizard is in the works. Well, sort of. The project is actually a mini-movie, to be shown only at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Florida, as well as the two Harry Potter attractions currently under construction in California (due to open in 2014) and Japan (in 2016). This will probably mean that only American and Japanese fans (and those willing to travel, of course) will be able to enjoy this last piece of the Boy Who Lived’s story.

Filming is already underway in Hertfordshire and, of course, the schedule will be much tighter than it has been for any other film in the franchise. Helena Bohnam Carter is one of the actors who will be reprising their roles in this final installment. This is something to look forward to for a lot of people, not least of all the rights holders of the story. The entire franchise, spanning ten books, eight films, a theme park and countless items of Harry Potter memorabilia is estimated to be worth over $24 billion.

For the fans of the series all of this means something else. The release of the eight film was described by many as the end of an era. Tears were shed and the hype for the “big finale” kept building up for months. However, it looks like as long as there are people to watch and, of course, profits to be made, Hogwarts really will be there to welcome you home.

It seems as though J.K Rowling can't write anything that doesn't end up being lifted off the page, and on to our TV screens. Hell, we reckon if she found a publisher for her shopping list, someone would try and turn it into a literary infused cooking show. 

Her first book for adults, and no, we don't count the 'grown up' version of her Harry Potter books, is to be adapted by the BBC into a series. Despite the mixed critical reviews, A Casual Vacancy was deemed ripe for a medium jump. Rowling said she was "thrilled" that the novel has been commissioned. "I always felt that, if it were to be adapted, this novel was best suited to television and I think the BBC is the perfect home." BBC One controller Danny Cohen said he was also excited to bring Rowling's latest work to audiences."[Her] story-telling is of course peerless in its popularity, and I am looking forward to collaborating with her."

The number and length of the prospective episodes are yet to be decided, but once they are, it will be produced through an independent production company operated by Neil Blair, on behalf of The Blair Partnership, and Rick Senat. The book moved 125,000 copies in its first week on the market, becoming the fastest-selling hardback in the UK for three years and the second biggest seller since records began in 1998.

Jk Rowling’s Harry Potter novels were not only a sensation in their own right but their film adaptations also created a stir in the movie world. Now, it seems that her first novel for adults – The Casual Vacancy - is headed for the small screen, as the BBC have inked a deal to have the novel dramatised for television.

According to the BBC, Rowling will “collaborate closely” on the adaptation, which is expected to hit the UK’s TV screens in 2014. Rowling is said to be “thrilled” that the adaptation has been commissioned. “I always felt that, if it were to be adapted, this novel was best suited to television and I think the BBC is the perfect home,” said the bestselling author. The BBC’s Danny Cohen also commented “[Her] story-telling is of course peerless in its popularity, and I am looking forward to collaborating with her.” Rick Senat will executive produce the programme, which will be an independent production for BBC One. The adaptation will be a series, as opposed to a one-off, though the number of episodes and the length of the episodes has yet to be decided.

The novel itself sold 125,000 copies in its first week, making it the fastest-selling hardback in the UK for three years. The book is set in a small town community in the West Country and focuses on a death, which shocks the community.

J.K. Rowling’s new book, The Casual Vacancy is performing very well in terms of sales, but it will always be compared to her multi-million selling Harry Potter franchise, The Guardian Reports.

A spokesman for Nielsen BookScan said: "Jk Rowling's UK sales to date are of a value in excess of £238m, making her by far the highest selling author in the UK since our records began.” Her first departure into adult literature has yielded great success, when compared books in the same category, but compared to Harry Potter sales, Rowling is nowhere near her peak. The Casual Vacancy topped the charts at a canter, with first week sales of 124,603. Just to give you some context: that’s 10x more than the book in the #2 spot, Bernard Cornwell's 1356, which sold 12,231. And now for a little more context: the seventh and final Potter book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold more than 2.6m copies in its first week on sale in the UK, representing two-fifths of all book purchases that week. Whilst the sales have been kind, though, The Casual Vacancy reviews have been mixed, with the majority saying it could have been better.

Rowling’s name is so popular (and scary) in literary circles, that some rival publishers have pushed back launch timings for books expected to do well. Ian Rankin, for instance, has moved the release date of his latest work to November to avoid the inevitable Rowling-rush.

As was widely predicted, Jk Rowling’s new book for adults has topped the fiction charts. The Casual Vacancy sold 124, 603 copies in just three days after its release. This was ten times more than the book in second place on the chart: Bernard Cornwell’s ‘1356,’ which sold 12, 231 copies. These results make Rowling’s novel the 15th best-selling book of 2012 so far; not bad going for a novel that has been on sale for just a week.

Book sales in the UK are monitored by Nielsen BookScan. A spokesman from the company, David Walter, told The Telegraph “By way of comparison, the latest phenomenon in the book trade, Fifty Shades of Grey, sold 664,000 in its highest week of sales so far.” Rowling may not be breaking any records with The Casual Vacancy but it’s a promising start for the novelist, who is more used to penning the Harry Potter wizardry books for children. The Harry Potter books, of course, were record-breakers; it’s unlikely that Rowling will come anywhere close to their success with this diversion from her usual genre.

The final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold over 2.6 million copies in its first week; eclipsing the success of The Casual Vacancy quite convincingly. Since Nielsen began collating their records, JK Rowling is “by far the highest selling author,” having racked up sales in excess of £238 million.

After nearly nine years in the dark, Jk Rowling has made contact with her father for the first time since he sold a collection of Harry Potter first editions behind her back to cover his own debts.

The UK's Daily Mail reports the father-daughter pair fell out with each other nine years ago after he sold a collection of rare Harry Potter first editions to cover his £100,000 debts following the collapse of his burger van business. The author's father, Peter Rowling, said at the time that his daughter, who is worth an estimated £560million, was unwilling to help him out in his time in need. However, Peter has recently revealed that he and his daughter are back on "good terms" and are talking to one another again.

Rowling's new novel, her first since the Harry Potter series ended, features a rather 'vile' character in it, believed to have been inspired by Peter. Peter mentioned during a Q&A with press that he believes that the father of Andrew, one of the new novel's central characters, is based loosely on him. In the past, the author has spoken of her difficult relationship with her father on a number of occasions.

Continue reading: JK Rowling Reunites With Estranged Father

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's debut adult novel certainly won't be retaining many child Potter fans; the book is packed with foul language and graphic descriptions of sex, drug-taking and self-harm. Though the British writer shot to fame with her family-friendly wizard franchise, she has taken the opportunity to indulge her dark side in new book The Casual Vacancy, which is released on Thursday (September 27th).

Details of Rowling's first foray into the adult market have been kept top secret in publishing circles, but Sky TV's speed-reader Anne Jones was allowed to breach the ring and review the novel upon its release, finding herself shocked at the contents. Jones has claimed that she found the second half of the novel packed with curse words and explicit scenes of sex and drug abuse. The horror.

She told Sky News, "The second half of the book is much better than the first, and (contains) some of the things we aren't used to from J.K., like graphic descriptions of sex, the drugs side of it, the (swearing), the cutting and so on. But I am seriously impressed by her range. I really didn't think she could pull it off. It really is very good - you will want to find out what happens to the main characters at the end. I was desperate (to know)."

Channel 4’s Drugs Live: the Ecstasy Trial garnered nearly 2 million viewers, reports The Guardian. The innovative show tests ecstasy for medicinal purposes.

1.9m intrigued viewers tuned in between 10pm and 11.05pm on Wednesday, with a five-minute high of 2.3 million. BBC2's Culture Show special, featuring an interview with Jk Rowling, between 10pm and 10.30pm, only managed 600,000 viewers, with the Harry Potter author talking about her new book, The Casual Vacancy. Elsewhere on Channel 5, Paddy and Sally's Excellent Gypsy Adventure was watched by 700,000 viewers, and BBC4's drama Room at the Top had 539,000. The big-hitters, though, were ITV1’s penultimate episode Mrs Biggs, with 4.2 million viewers and BBC1's Who Do You Think You Are? featuring Coronation Street star William Roache, which was watched by 4.3 million. Political broadcasts weren’t on the viewers agenda, with BBC2's coverage of the Liberal Democrat autumn conference averaged 400,000 for both it’s viewings, although most of the potential viewers would have been at work.

Continue reading: Drugs Live: Channel 4's Ecstasy Trial Gets 2 Million Curious Viewers

Jk Rowling’s new book may be targeted at an adult audience, though the novelist caused a stir in the wizardry world on Wednesday (September 26, 2012) by refusing to rule out a fifth Harry Potter novel. The author and one of the world’s richest women told the BBC she would be willing to revisit her hugely successful series if she came up with an interesting plot.

On the eve of her new book ‘The Casual Vacancy’, Rowling quite rightly said she had reached a point in her career whereby she no longer had to write “just to make money,” adding, “Harry Potter truly liberated me in the sense that there's only one reason to write, for me - if I genuinely have something I want to say, and I want to publish it… Now if I had a fabulous idea that came out of that world - because I loved writing it - I'd do it.” Rowling has no doubt been urged to write further Potter books by her publishers, though has often spoken of her desire to produce work for other genres and audiences. ‘The Casual Vacancy’ has been shrouded in secrecy ahead of its release though reportedly contains more adult themes such a class warfare, addiction and sexuality.

Time will tell whether holding the book back from the press was a shrewd move, though it’s safe to say Rowling will be top of the charts come next week. The new book is unlikely to reach the heady sales heights of E.J James’ ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ series, though an eighth Harry Potter novel? Now that just might.

Will Jk Rowling write more Harry Potter books? In an interview with the BBC’s Will Gompertz, broadcast this morning (September 26, 2012), the author explained that it was “murder” leaving behind the characters that she had created in the Harry Potter stories. One the one hand, she insists “where Harry’s story is concerned, I’m done. I just think it would be for the sake of milking it and that’s just not in me.” Then, however, she dropped a bomb by revealing that she has “left the door ajar” into the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts: “If I had a fabulous idea that came out of that world, because I loved writing it, I would do it. But I've got to have a great idea.”

So, it seems that the final nail is yet to be hammered into the Hogwarts coffin. Rowling could still, hypothetically create more fiction based on that world. In the meantime, her younger fans will simply have to wait until they are old enough to enjoy JK Rowling’s new book, which is most definitely not for children.

When she was asked if she was worried about children accessing the book, which contains some pretty “vivid language,” she replied “I hope that we've made it really clear that this isn't a book for children. I've been very open about what the themes are, we've talked about what the story's about. I would have thought that parents can make a very clear choice... I would have to ask why have kids got such untrammelled access to the internet that they are downloading.”

J.K Rowling has plunged millions of Harry Potter fanatics into frenzy mode this morning, when she hinted that a director's cut of the wizardry story could happen.

Speaking to BBC News, Rowling bemoaned the speed of which she authored some of the infamous novels, insisting: "There were a couple of the Potters and I definitely knew that they needed another year." The creator of the 'potterverse' was keen not to make the same mistake with her new book, The Casual Vacancy, which is published tomorrow (September 27th). But had the rush to complete certain chapters of her magical tale inspired Rowling to rework some of Harry's adventures? Well she certainly didn't say no: "I read them, and I think 'Oh God, maybe I'll go back and do a director's cut', I don't know." And cue the madness. A rare interview, J.K isn't one to blurt out under-prepared answers to please her interviewer, so Potter fans should take note, as they undoubtedly already have.

Her aforementioned new release is showing signs that it'll be a hit come Christmas. With chart topping performances at literary outlets like Waterstones and Amazon, it's likely her grown-up book will be on the wish list of many around this time in December. "It is a parochial - literally - novel that's looking at slicing through a society with everything that that implies. That's what I wanted to do," she said of the book.

Jk Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy looks set to continue her literary success with one million pre-orders already having been made.

Following the massive success she had with her Harry Potter franchise which continues to reach out to fans with the new interactive website Pottermore.com even after the release of the last book and film, this modest author’s new ventures definitely look just as promising. It is expected to become the UK’s best seller of 2012 with The Bookseller charts editor Philip Stone telling AFP ‘It’s one of the biggest releases of the 21st century’ and predicting an immediate place at number one. It certainly has the credentials to become the next big hit in literature with it being the most pre-ordered book at Waterstones this year and with Rowling’s last book, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, selling 2.5 million copies in the UK just in the first 24 hours.

However, she has some serious competition. She is yet to break the record for the most hardback sales of an adult book in the first week (given that ‘Harry Potter’ was a children’s franchise) which currently stands at a massive 550,000 for Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’ sequel ‘The Lost Symbol’. She is also to match the global phenomenon that is ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ by EL James which has so far sold 5.3 million. One Waterstones spokesperson has expressed doubt that Rowling will even match her own success records with ‘A Casual Vacancy’ and admitted, ‘It is not in the league of ‘Harry Potter’.’

Continue reading: Will JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy Storm 2012’s Bestseller Charts?

J.K. Rowling's new book The Casual Vacancy draws near, and the Harry Potter author will be hoping to build on her magical success with a more adult brand of literature.

Speaking to USA today, in her first and only interview prior to her much anticipated new release; Rowling said, "I don't think everyone will like the book. But I'm proud of this book. I like this book. It is what it's meant to be. As an author, you really can't say more than that. I don't mean this arrogantly, but if people don't like it, well, that's how it should be, isn't it? That's art. It's all subjective. And I can live with that." Rowling - nearly singlehandedly - created one of the biggest franchises on the globe, with the Harry Potter name being known worldwide. Seven books, eight films and myriad of merchandising made Rowling one of the richest women in the world, which gives her an air of confidence. "Of course this might change tomorrow, but I thought I would feel more nervous because it's been five years -- and this is a very different kind of book -- but actually I feel quite excited," she explained.

Early indications suggest that The Casual Vacancy will be a smash hit, as it's topped pre-order charts for literary mercantile giants Amazon and Waterstones, making it a shoe-in for stocking fillers around the world. The book will be published worldwide in the English language in hardback, ebook, unabridged audio download and on CD on Thursday 27th September 2012.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe quipped that he could put a revolutionary new twist on the character of James Bond.

The 18-year-old actor was celebrating with fellow cast members after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was voted best film and Radcliffe named best male at the first ever National Movie Awards.

After beating sex symbol Daniel Craig to the best male award, Radcliffe was asked whether he'd like to one day take over as 007.

"It would be weird to suddenly be involved in another big franchise, but hey, it takes a big man to turn down Bond."

When quizzed as to who his ideal leading lady would be, he quipped that his top choice would be co-star Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

"I'm going to say Rupert," Radcliffe joked. "I'll be the first gay James Bond!"

But the young star – who is expected to reprise his critically-acclaimed performance in Equus on the Broadway stage – accepted that he might not have the goods to play the spy with a licence to kill.

"I don't think the world's ready for a short-a**e Bond," he moaned.

Questioned if he'd fancy playing the role in a decade, Radcliffe, only 5ft 5ins, admitted: "I'll still be a short a**e!"

Radcliffe is currently starring in Australian coming-of-age drama December Boys and is set to soon begin filming on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth feature in the Jk Rowling franchise.

Continue reading: Radcliffe: I'll Be First Gay Bond!

Jk Rowling has been steadily earning a fortune through her Harry Potter series. Well, let's not mince words - JK Rowling has made more money in the last 20 years than most people will make in their lifetime. Or in two lifetimes. Or five. What's more, is that this phenomenal achievement shows no signs of stopping, as the author has just added a further 36 million USD (20 million GBP) to her fortune - only 24 hours after the sixth book of the boy wizard series went on sale.

JK Rowling has recently released the sixth book in her 'Harry Potter' series

'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' hit the shelves at one minute past midnight on Saturday 16th July, 2005, greeted by long queues of ecstatic fans, going on to sell over two million copies by closing time on 17th July. Rowling's previous entrée into the series, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', saw its release in 2003, causing the rags-to-riches British author the chance to sell 1.7 million copies in the UK and 7 million in the US.

Continue reading: Jk Rowling’s Net Worth Set To Explode With New Harry Potter Book