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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: JK Rowling

JK Rowling stories: 48 news summaries

1 - 20 of 48 Stories | 1 2 3 Next >>

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Quidditch Scores Big
on College Campuses

Inability to fly on broomsticks doesn't stop undergrads

Nov 9, 09 1:00 PM CST
(Newser) - Heads up, NCAA: Quidditch has cast its spell on America's campuses. Technically known as Muggle Quidditch—due to the lack of actual flying brooms—the game looks like "a mixture between ultimate Frisbee and dodgeball," one player tells the Chicago Sun-Times . And if it sounds like a fringe... More »

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Harry Potter • sports • JK Rowling • university • college sports • Quidditch

Broke Aussie Author Inspires Bidding Frenzy

Rebecca James' debut has publishers seeing next JK Rowling

Oct 24, 09 7:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - The publishing world is in a frenzy over a debut novel whose Australian author is drawing comparisons to JK Rowling (Harry Potter? Perhaps you've heard of it.). “Beautiful Malice was one of the most extraordinary manuscripts I’ve read in a very long while,” one editor with... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Potter • JK Rowling • literature • publishing • bidding war • women's issues • Rebecca James • Beautiful Malice • teen literature

(Newser) - Banning a book is a move laden with ironies that can make the banner seem dull-witted in the long run. For National Banned Books Week, 11Points.com lists "the most hypocritical, ignorant, and, based on the content of the books, ironic" bans:
  • Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury: 
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Potter • JK Rowling • literature • Salman Rushdie • publishing • Anne Frank • Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl • Mark Twain • banned • books • Fahrenheit 451 • Ray Bradbury • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn • The Satanic Verses • banned books • National Banned Books Week

 Dumbledore  
 Sparks Fight for  
 Real-World Justice 

Nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance uses books as inspiration

Jul 20, 09 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Potter’s battle against injustice in the wizarding world has prompted fans to take the fight to the Muggle universe, the Los Angeles Times reports. Inspired by moral teachings of Albus Dumbledore, Harry’s mentor, the nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance has registered voters, collected some 13,000 books to... More »

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Harry Potter • Darfur • Sudan • JK Rowling • literature • political activism • Myanmar • Burma • book • Albus Dumbledore • Andrew Slack • Harry Potter Alliance

OPINION

 Spoiled Harry a Hero 
 for 'Entitled Generation' 

Books lack moral weight as Potter gets off easy

Jul 20, 09 7:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Potter is a fitting hero for a generation of readers: his powers arrive on a silver platter, and from there it’s “all zapping bad guys, no taking out the trash,” writes Kyle Smith in the New York Post. While heroes like Luke Skywalker face obstacles to... More »

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Harry Potter • film • JK Rowling • literature • book • Luke Skywalker • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

(Newser) - Time has unveiled its latest tallying of the world’s 100 most influential people, and yes, of course, Barack Obama is on it. But the other 99 choices aren’t as obvious. Bernie Madoff makes the list, as do Rush Limbaugh, George Clooney, and 4Chan’s Moot. And as... More »

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Barack Obama • John McCain • Ann Coulter • Michelle Obama • Arnold Schwarzenegger • Gordon Brown • Rush Limbaugh • JK Rowling • Ted Kennedy • Oprah Winfrey • Time magazine • George Clooney • Ashton Kutcher • Time's Person of the Year • Sarah Palin • Twitter • Bernard Madoff • 4Chan • Chesley Sullenberger • influential • Moot

 Rowling Wows 
 Obama—and 
 Medvedev, Too

Prez praises Rowling; Michelle dines with high-flying women

Apr 3, 09 10:13 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama took a break from the global economic crisis at a Downing Street G20 dinner this week, buttonholing JK Rowling to tell her that he had read all of her Harry Potter books—and had read them to his girls, the Telegraph reports. And Dmitry Medvedev did his US... More »

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Barack Obama • Gordon Brown • JK Rowling • Dmitry Medvedev • autographs • G20 • 10 Downing Street

 Michelle Visits Cancer Patients 

First Lady will sit with JK Rowling at dinner tonight

Apr 1, 09 11:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Michelle Obama spent the morning visiting a cancer center in London with Sarah Brown, the Guardian reports. The trip is the first in a number of engagements the first ladies will share—including a dinner for spouses of leaders tonight at 10 Downing Street, where Michelle will be seated next... More »

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cancer • London • Michelle Obama • JK Rowling • Sarah Brown • President Obama • clinic

(Newser) - JK Rowling cleared up any fuss about her Harry Potter villain’s French name today, as she accepted that country’s Legion d’honneur for her contribution to the arts, Reuters reports. “I can assure you that the decision did not come from any anti-French sentiment,” Rowling... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Potter • Nicolas Sarkozy • France • JK Rowling • literature • knighthood • Voldemort • Legion d'honneur

book review

 Rowling Gives Us More Magic 


Dec 4, 08 7:45 PM CST
(Newser) - Harry Potter's saga may be done, but author JK Rowling's new book proves she's still a master storyteller. Her "charming" Tales of Beedle the Bard reveals anew that Rowling is a "genius with words, blessed with wisdom, a sly wit and an effortless prose style," writes Deirdre... More »

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Harry Potter • JK Rowling • publishing • fairy tales

(Newser) - A new book by JK Rowling, patterned on one mentioned in the final Harry Potter installment, is set to be released tomorrow, Reuters reports. Profits from The Tales of Beedle the Bard will go to Rowling’s charity for Eastern European children. In addition to a global print run... More »

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Harry Potter • JK Rowling • charity • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows • book • The Tales of Beedle the Bard

 Meyer: the New JK Rowling  

Vampire author gaining on Rowling's popularity

Nov 28, 08 9:39 AM CST
(Newser) - Have we finally found the next JK Rowling? Even Brits are starting to admit Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer is coming close, the Daily Telegraph reports. The 34-year-old Mormon author of a series of swoon-worthy novels about teen vampires has a similar “out of nowhere” story, and her book and... More »

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Harry Potter • JK Rowling • author • book • vampire • Twilight • Stephenie Meyer

GLOSSIES

 10 Writers Who Turn 
 Books Into Bucks 

Top earner JK Rowling made $300 million off Potter franchise in past year

Oct 4, 08 2:43 AM CDT
(Newser) - So you think people don't read books anymore? Tell that to JK Rowling, No. 1 on Forbes' list of top-earning authors. The woman behind the Harry Potter juggernaut raked in $300 million in the past year, thanks in part to the movies based on her books—which have sold 375... More »

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Harry Potter • JK Rowling • Stephen King • book • Oprah's Book Club • John Grisham • Forbes magazine • Nicholas Sparks • James Patterson • Tom Clancy • Danielle Steel • Dean Koontz • Ken Follett • Janet Evanovich

Rowling Gives $1.8M to Beleaguered  Labour Party

Admires Brown's efforts to fight child poverty

Sep 20, 08 9:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Beleaguered British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has at least one big fan: JK Rowling gave a whopping $1.8 million to the Labour party at its annual meeting today, the Guardian reports. The Harry Potter author, who is estimated to be worth a little over $1 billion, said she gave... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Potter • Gordon Brown • JK Rowling • Labour Party • Conservative Party • Britain • election

 Rowling Wins Copyright Case 

Judge rules publishing Potter encyclopedia would cause creator 'irreparable harm'

Sep 8, 08 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - A fan-written "Harry Potter lexicon" will not be published, a federal judge in New York ruled today, finding for author JK Rowling that the reference guide was an infringement of copyright. The ruling held that the book would cause Rowling irreparable harm as a writer, the BBC reports. The... More »

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Harry Potter • copyright law • intellectual property • JK Rowling • copyright • court • Britain • copyright infringement

 Oprah Tops Powerful
 Celebs List Again 

Talk show maven edges out Tiger, Jolie

Jun 12, 08 11:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - Forbes ranks the 100 most powerful celebs of 2008 (complete with tweens), and Oprah leads the pack for the second year running. Stars are judged on the size of their paychecks and media clout, including their showing on the Internet. Here's how the A-listers stacked up:
  1. Oprah Winfrey
... More »

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media • Angelina Jolie • Brad Pitt • Tiger Woods • JK Rowling • Johnny Depp • list • Oprah Winfrey • celebrity • David Beckham • Beyonce • Forbes • The Police • rich • Jay-Z

Rowling's
Potter Prequel
Conjures Up $49K for Charity

800-word tale features Harry's father

Jun 11, 08 5:01 AM CDT
(Newser) - JK Rowling’s handwritten “prequel” to the Harry Potter books has sold for $49,000 at a charity auction to benefit the PEN writers organization, Reuters reports. In the 800-word story, which takes place before Harry’s birth, the boy wizard’s father and Sirius Black use magic to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Potter • JK Rowling • auction • charity • wizard

 Rowling Casts Spell at Harvard 

Fight the monsters, she urges

Jun 6, 08 7:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Potter birth mom JK Rowling yesterday urged Harvard graduates at their commencement to use their imaginations on more than wizards and muggles to envision—and create—a better world. She recalled the rewarding time she spent when she was younger working for prisoners of totalitarian regimes for Amnesty International.... More »

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Harry Potter • JK Rowling • Amnesty International • wizard • political prisoner • Harvard • Albus Dumbledore • commencement speech

 JK Rowling Pens Potter Prequel 

800-word manuscript to be auctioned for charity

May 29, 08 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - Harry Potter fans mourned when JK Rowling ended the enormously popular schoolboy wizard saga with the seventh and final book last year. But now she has written a surprise short prequel likely to trigger a bidding frenzy. Rowling has donated an 800-word handwritten manuscript to the British bookseller Waterstone's to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Harry Potter • JK Rowling • witches • Harry Potter Lexicon

 Famously Bad Poet Fetches Big Bucks at Auction

Verses from the 'world's worst poet' fetch big bucks at auction

May 17, 08 8:05 AM CDT
(Newser) - William McGonagall had a tough time after deciding poetry was his calling, being roundly insulted by critics and even pelted with rotten fruit. But the 19th-century Scotsman has been remembered long after his peers—as the worst poet ever to mangle the English language. His works commanded a price higher... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Scotland • JK Rowling • literature • poetry

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