In an article entitled “Magic sales for Potter books,” CBBC Newsround mentions a possible July release date for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The University of Alberta has become the latest Canadian university to offer a course about Harry Potter, turning the children’s best-seller into a subject of academic scrutiny (from the …read more!

From The Mirror: He has starred in many Shakespearean epics on stage and on the screen – now luvvie actor Kenneth Branagh is casting his spell in the second Harry Potter movie.

‘Harry Potter’ in Amman (from The Jordan Times). Teenage wizard Harry Potter and notorious single Bridget Jones have pushed 2001 book sales to a record one billion pounds. Hollywood’s family business: Top 3 films aimed at young people and their parents (from the San Francisco Gate).

The Sun ran an article today entitled “Potter sequel looks magic,” and which has what appears to be the first official picture of Kenneth Branagh as Professor Lockhart.

From the Irish Independent: “So what’s going on in Northern Ireland? Well, looking at it through Harry Potter’s eyes, the good guys the 90 or so per cent of the population who just want to get on with their lives and their neighbours are increasingly despairing.” Two from Ananova: A 48-year-old former jockey is to …read more!

Thomas Taylor, the young graduate artist who decided what Harry Potter ought to look like, made only two or three hundred pounds for his first drawing of the boy hero in 1997. Now, five years after its publication, initial designs for the covers of J. K. Rowling’s novels are worth tens of thousands.

Empire Online has posted a brief interview with Jason Isaacs, currently in talks to play Lucius Malfoy in Chamber of Secrets. (Thanks to Catherine for the link.) The Scotsman reports on “the magic of Potter”: It is a measure of the success of the Harry Potter books that two companies reporting this week claim their …read more!

Thanks to everyone who let us know about A&E’s airing of “Harry Potter and me” on their Biography series. The show will air Monday, 21 January at 8pm ET/PT. Check your local listings for more information.

Two from the Financial Times: Harry Potter success lifts Argonaut’s confidence; and Bloomsbury set for more magical results. Potter evening enchants at library (from GazetteNET). Potter goes up the wall; the bedroom of a Warrington showhome could hold any child spellbound.

You may notice that we just added a search feature in the left-hand column. It was made using a free search engine service from Atomz. This is new for me and until I find a decent Content Management System I’m comfortable administrating myself, we’ll have to rely on 3rd party for searching capabilities – however …read more!