Tonight, the “J.K. Rowling…A Year in the Life” documentary by James Runcie was broadcast in the UK on ITV, and is now being playedon iTV’s web site.
We have early reports on some of the new things contained in the program. TLC reader Andy writes that after Jo completed writing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” Jo “puts on the page numbers and plays Lily Allen’s “Smile.” Andy writes that new artwork “for Ollivanders at Universal can briefly be seen,” and Jo would “like to be remembered as someone who did “the best she could, with the talent she had.”
Readers will remember that we saw three preview clips from the documentary (clip one, preview clip two, and this trailer) with the media currently making much ado of a question posed in the recent Time magazine interview, and posed in this video regarding a possible eight book, but as we saw, Jo says No. Specifically, she said “I think no, it’s time to stop, it’s time to stop now. It gives me a certain satisfaction to say what I thought happened and to tell other people that, because I would like my version to be the official version still, even though I’ve not written it in a book, because it’s my world.” As we first reported several days ago, there is new information in the documentary about the second generation of students at Hogwarts, found in the form of a handwritten family tree that you can see here in our galleries, or via the office on JKRowling.com. Thanks Andy!
It was an incredibly moving programme. Thank you Jo for letting us be slightly nosey and intruding on what could be considered very personal moments. I was in tears by the end of it, of what I don’t know, a bit of everything. But I am truly inspired after watching it and I’m already getting itchy feet about what I want to do in the future.
I really want to see it! Is there any chance it will be posted here or on YouTube or some other fansite anytime soon? I’m debating whether or not to pay for UK tv streaming right now, but obviously I’d rather get it for free if at all possible.
It started with a few direct Q&A. There was a bit about the early history of Jo and Di, a bit about the forest of Dean. They went to the church where Jo and Di earned extra pocket money. Then about Jo’s mother’s MS. Then the first preview clip (about finishing DH), and the journey down to London to meet Christopher Little (her agent), a clip about her and her editor editing the manuscript, a clip about the printing of DH, and the Bloomsbury discussion about possible release night events. Then the premiere of OotP, there was a clip on a private jet with Jo and Neil. Then the book release night fever (they have footage from London (the Museum signing event), New York, Sydney and Cape Town), then the midnight reading and signing (she told a boy named Hugo that there’s going to be a Hugo in the book). Then there was the third clip (family tree), and a clip about the planning of the theme park. Then she went back to her flat (second clip) where it all started. There was a scene where she files all her correspondence into appropriate folders. Next we see her baking David’s birthday cake, and she reveals that her mother baked, so her baking makes her feel like a mother. She is also writing another book that is a political fairytale, I believe (ugh, darn my Short Term Memory), and she’s glad there are no deadlines and expectations and it’s like Philosopher’s Stone again (a return to the beginning). It then ended with a few more direct Q&A.
Note: As my memory is not impeccable and I didn’t take any blow-by-blow notes (where is the Omniocular when you need one?), please forgive me if I’ve mixed up the events or left out some.
Thanks for the run down, [b]aislingyngaio[/b]! Did you notice if any of the footage was from after the US Open Book Tour? Just curious what she might have had to say after that.
it was really funny and touching!
” Some reports are saying that you’ve got £950 million, is that true?”
” Those reports are bollocks!”
” How much money do you have then?”
” Loads, but I’m not telling you!”
I think all the part from the family tree onward should be post-US book tour, since there was a mention about telling a reader about Dumbledore’s orientation in that clip (and I’m pretty sure that was revealed in the book tour, no?).
Great doc but really 1 hour was not enough. It should have been 2 hours at the very least. Imagine the things they had to leave on the cutting room floor from a years worth of travelling with JK?
There is virtuall nothing regarding the American book tour. All footage is from here in Britain apart from showing DH going on sale around the world. Like I said 1 hour was not enough time to have a doc on a year with JK.
I really can’t wait to see this !! :)