“Chinese writers of children’s books which many children find boring and unattractive, should learn from the British writer J.K. Rowling and her best seller Harry Potter in order to win back readers, many writers and experts say …” (From the People’s Daily.) Coming Soon is carrying a report that Richard Harris may have to be …read more!

FRANTIC E-MAILERS: You can’t see the Lucius pic because I spelled his name incorrectly on the JPG. Sorry. That link should work. 🙂

Thankyou thankyou thankyou Michael, who sent us this first look at Jason Isaacs as Lucius, from a magazine called Total Film. Love the snake-themed walking stick. I realize the COS Pics page desperately needs updating. Soon, soon.

“The News of the World has hit back at one of its former journalists after he spoke publicly for the first time about his claim that editor Rebekah Wade ordered him to dress up as Harry Potter on September 11 …” (From the MediaGuardian.) The original article from The Independent can be found here. Website …read more!

From Publisher’s Weekly: “Although sales of Harry Potter product hit $80 million in the fiscal year ended May 31, that was $120 million less than the revenues the boy wizard generated in fiscal 2001 and as a result sales in Scholastic’s trade unit fell 33% to $215 million in fiscal 2002. The decline in Potter …read more!

Reader Andy sends us this link to an article from The Scotsman on how celebrity television presenters and authors are being drafted in to raise money to help popularise science among youngsters in Scotland. Among the possible presenters, JK Rowling and Robbie Coltrane. Medea, starring Fiona Shaw, opens in Berkeley (California) on 14 November.

Thanks to the readers who sent in this link to pictures of an ice sculpture of Hogwarts. It’s a wonderful model of the castle as depicted in the movie by artist Jonathan Lloyd. Pictures courtesy of Rex Features.

The lurvely reader Michelle Ravel sent this to us, and I hadn’t found it until now – thanks Michelle, sorry it took me so long: Mary Walsh, a popular Canadian comedienne, has begun to do a show called “Open Book” in which she discusses a certain novel with a panel of other Canadians. The show …read more!

My Yahoo! News alert tells me that today is Rupert Grint’s 14th birthday!

Again, it’s nothing we haven’t heard before, but a Reuters article on bookseller Barnes and Noble states that the company’s fourth-quarter outlook had … “previously assumed a new Harry Potter at Christmas, which is not going to happen now.” From InternetNews.com comes this article on Warner Bros’ web promotion for Harry Potter and the Chamber …read more!