The secrets of JK Rowling's amazing makeover (and, yes, $1.1 billion does help)
JK Rowling's appearance this week just goes to show that - the odd wardrobe malfunction aside - with enough money and time we could all look far more beautiful and much younger than we did ten years ago. The sight of the author at Wednesday night's British Book Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London was a revelation. Gone is the home-dyed, slightly carroty, thick mop of hair with its unflattering heavy fringe, the lumpy old shapeless cardigans and the fag hanging from her mouth. From such

Rowling Tells Court of “Heartache” Caused by Plagiarism
Famed British writer J. K. Rowling, who is trying to stop the publication of an unauthorized Harry Potter lexicon because of copyright infringement she calls “wholesale theft,” told a Manhattan court Monday that being betrayed by a fan – the author of the encyclopedia – has caused her “heartache.” J. K. Rowling testified before a New York courtroom on Monday in a lawsuit to block publication of “The Harry Potter Lexicon,” a 400-page book authored by Steven Vander Ark, editor of fan websi

J.K. Rowling Urges Harvard Grads to "Imagine Better"
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling encouraged Harvard University graduates to "imagine better" in a commencement speech at Thursday. "We do not need magic to transform our world," she said. "We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. "Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation," Rowling said. "In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity; it is the power that enables us to empathi

J.K Rowling's new Harry Potter story set to become mini-movie
J.K. Rowling has penned a brand-new Harry Potter story which is being turned into a mini-movie. The film will be shown at a new theme park called The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. All the regulars, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are shooting the movie at Leavesden, Herts, before starting two films based on final Potter novel The Deathly Hallows. A source said: "They are also working on extra sequences and clips which will be part of the rides. J.K. R

J.K. Rowling wants Harry Potter to be naked in the next movie
Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling has revealed that she wants Harry to to be completely naked in the next Potter movie - after seeing Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter, strip off on the London stage for his role in ‘Equus’ - and she also joked that it would be interesting to see her character in the nude. Daniel is quoted as saying: “When Jo came to see ‘Equus’, she popped backstage afterwards and said, ‘In the next film, Harry’s going to be naked all the time!’ Radcliffe, 18, a

Harry and Hermione? Together at last?
"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe may have cast a spell on co-star Emma Watson, U.K.'s The Mirror reports. Radcliffe, 18, and Watson, 17, who plays Hermione Granger in the blockbuster productions based on J.K. Rowling's books, were spotted on Valentine's Day huddled together in the garden of a London bar. The pair were apparently taking measures not to be seen, the Mirror reports. "They arrived quite late at the pub — about 10 p.m. — and sat outside, using each other's bodies for warmth," an on

Ali Lohan: Troll's New Girl?
Ali Lohan may be hooking up with a troll. The E! reality star is director John Carl Buechler's top choice for a lead role in the big-budget remake of his 1986 camp classic, Troll. Lindsay's little sister auditioned last week for the role of the young Eunice St. Clair, who helps Harry Potter Jr. (no relation whatsoever to J.K. Rowling's gazillion-dollar creation of the same name) fight the evil Torok the Troll. "She was great," Buechler tells me. "The camera loves her. She's a really good actress...

WB turns last "Potter" picture into two
The final "Harry Potter" book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be adapted into two films, Warner Bros. said Wednesday. Titled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the movies are set to be released in November 2010 and May 2011. They will be shot back-to-back by David Yates, who is directing the adaptation of the sixth novel, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," due in theatres November 21. Steve Kloves, who has written all

J.K. Rowling Testifies in Harry Potter Suit
J.K. Rowling faced a Manhattan judge Monday in a bid to squash the publication of Harry Potter Lexicon, an unauthorized encyclopedia devoted to the fantasy world she created. "I really don't want to cry," said the British-born author, 42, who added that she was forced to cease progress on a new novel because her concern over this legal matter had "decimated my creative work," reports the BBC. Rowling also reportedly denied the case was about money and said she considered the prospective volume by au

ABC News conjures J.K. Rowling documentary
Following the success of last month's "20/20" installment on the Royal family, ABC News in the U.S. is working on a behind-the-scenes look at the life of "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling. The in-depth profile, which will air in November, includes several interviews, the book tour for the final "Harry Potter" installment, and a tour of locations that inspired her characters. It even hints to what the future holds for Harry and his friends. ABC is again working with U.K. producer RDF Media, which rais

Rowling 'exploited' by book plan
Harry Potter author JK Rowling said she would feel "exploited" if an unofficial reference book about the boy wizard was published, according to court papers. The writer is taking legal action in New York against Steve Vander Ark and publisher RDR Books over their plans to release a Harry Potter encyclopaedia. "I am very frustrated that a former fan has tried to co-opt my work for financial gain," Ms Rowling said. Lawyers for RDR Books said it was a "legitimate literary activity". They added:

Rowling offers glimpse into Harry prequel
The secret of what happened before boy wizard Harry Potter went to Hogwarts will be revealed through the unusual channel of a charity auction next month. Author JK Rowling has penned an 800-word outline of a prequel to the seven book series that has made her into a billionaire which will be sold at the auction on June 10 by bookseller Waterstones. The outline, which ends with the line "From the prequel I am not working on -- but that was fun!" is one of 13 story outlines written for the auction by fam

Rowling says fan's book could endanger other authors
Author J.K. Rowling said on Wednesday publication of an unofficial encyclopedic companion to her Harry Potter books would "open the floodgates" and threaten other authors. The British author and Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., are suing independent U.S. publisher RDR Books, which plans to publish "The Harry Potter Lexicon," a 400-page reference book written by Steve Vander Ark based on his fan Web site (www.hp-lexicon.org). "This case is about an author's right to protect their creatio

J.K. Rowling Admits She Was Suicidal
Though she has made no secret of how her life had sunk before her immense success with the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has never before detailed that despondent period of her life. That now has changed, with the author, 42, opening up to an Edinburgh University student magazine, the BBC and British newspapers report. Rowling also admits that she contemplated taking her own life back in the early 1990s, after separating from her first husband, Portuguese journalist Jorge Arantes. "We're tal

JK Rowling back in court over child photo
Harry Potter author JK Rowling returned to court to try to ban publication of a photograph taken in the street of her son, David, when he was 18 months old. The author, who lost her High Court action last year, claimed the child's right to privacy has been infringed. Speaking in court her solicitor Richard Spearman QC said: "This claim is not about the rights of adults, this is about the rights of the child." Photo agency Big Pictures said there was no proof the child had been hurt. Mark Warby Q

Rowling wins privacy case over photo of son
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has won her battle to ban further publication of a long-lens photograph of her son, in a privacy case her legal team called a major development in British law. The initial claim by Rowling and her husband was thrown out by a London court last year, prompting the couple to appeal. In a written judgment on Wednesday, a panel of judges upheld the appeal, a ruling which Rowling and husband Neil Murray welcomed. "We understand and accept that with the success of Harry Po