Emma Thompson has launched a virtual Chestnut Tree, an internet tool created by the Anne Frank Foundation to “foster exchanges between schoolchildren and fight racism.” The Chestnut Tree symbol is being used in honor of the chestnut tree that Anne Frank could see growing outside the Amsterdam house in which she was hidden for over …read more!

The Hindu reports that the Harry Potter books are now available in Hindi. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was released by publisher Manjul Books at the New Delhi World Book Fair yesterday, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is expected to be released by this June. Translator Sudhir Dixit worked diligently …read more!

WELCOME to the new and very much improved Leaky Cauldron! We have been absolutely dying to get this version released and out to you (yes, this is the project code named Fiddy Five). We don’t even know where to start telling you what’s new about it – but we think there are several things you’re …read more!

Ralph Fiennes won the Best Actor award at yesterday’s Evening Standard Film British Awards, for his performance as Justin Quayle in The Constant Gardner. This is the first time he has won this award (he was nominated in 1995, for Schindler’s List). The Constant Gardener was also honored as Best Film. In this new interview, …read more!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has received a nomination for an Academy Award, in the category of Art Direction. Congratulations to Stuart Craig (Art Direction) and Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration)! This is Mr. Craig’s eighth Oscar nomination, and Ms. McMillan’s third. The Academy Awards winners will be announced on March 5. For the …read more!

It’s a historic day here at Leaky; today, our forum, Leaky Lounge, turns one year old! It’s been a whole year since we opened the floodgates to nearly 30,000 of you and more than 500,000 of your posts. It’s been a whole year since that first day, when 2,000 of you signed up, leaving all …read more!

The Polish translation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released at midnight tonight in over 1,000 bookstores throughout that country. According to an article on the Polskie Radio website, both hardcover and paperback versions will be available. (*Note: The Leaky Cauldron takes no responsibility for the misspelling of JKR’s name in the …read more!

Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney) appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman this week, and following a discussion of the satisfaction of throwing a pie in someone’s face (there is a food fight sequence in Ms. Thompson’s new film, Nanny McPhee), she hit the host in the face with a cream pie! Naturally, this sparked …read more!

Lumos.hu has posted screencaps of J.K. Rowling’s brief appearance on Romania’s TVR yesterday. Check ’em out! Thanks, Daisy! UPDATE: Daisy also sent us the video of Jo’s appearance, which you can see at this link. Enjoy! Thanks again Daisy!

PotterCast #23 is now available for download! In this show: -Part two of the interview Arthur Levine, co-editor of the Harry Potter books: Working with Jo, establishing the author/writer relationship, remembering the milestones, and a huge amount on the differences between editions – including the extra lines in book six -John Noe, burning down the …read more!