The real-life dame and on-screen dowager countess, who has died aged 89, earned fame in her 70s and 80s for blockbuster roles. But her early work at the National Theatre marked her out as a talent for the agesDame Maggie Smith’s trophy cabinet reflected her extraordinary achievements across theatre, film and television – and in the biggest arenas of British and US culture, from the BBC to Hollywood, the West End to Broadway. A measure of her versatility and durability is that, in the 1960s, she played nine major roles in the formative years of the National Theatre, but also, from the start of the 2000s, appeared in five series of Downton Abbey, the ITV Sunday night series that became one of the biggest popular hits of the new millennium.Her role in that show was Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, who lived in such a bubble of exclusive comfort that, in trademark one-liners, she would drawl in mystification, for example: “What is a ‘weekend’?” That acerbic superiority was a signature throughout Smith’s career, including the part that brought her first Academy award in 1970, against a shortlist also featuring Liza Minnelli and Jane Fonda, for the title role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, adapted from Muriel Spark’s novel about a maverick, arrogant schoolteacher in Edinburgh. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-09-27 13:37:47 UTC ]
Bloomsbury says books were a lockdown hit, with children’s division revenue up 27%The backlash against JK Rowling’s views on transgender law reform has failed to dent the popularity of the Harry Potter author’s books, with publisher Bloomsbury saying they have proved a lockdown hit, pushing... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-21 12:29:43 UTC ]
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Three mission-driven indie bookstores well-known for their commitment to social justice have ceased stocking books written by J.K. Rowling, accusing the Harry Potter author of promoting hatred towards transgender people. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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J K Rowling's agency The Blair Partnership has lost four of its author clients over the controversy surrounding the Harry Potter author's views on transgender law reform. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-22 05:27:06 UTC ]
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In order to create the Ultimate Summer 2020 Reading List, we’ve ventured into unfamiliar territory and employed… math. | Lit Hub How JK Rowling betrayed the world she created: Gabrielle Bellot on growing up with the Harry Potter universe. | Lit Hub “The pace and frequency of Trump’s falsehoods... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-10 10:30:25 UTC ]
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After the author’s widely criticized round of gender identity tweets over the weekend, the actor spoke up on behalf of transgender women. The creator of Harry Potter seems to have lost Harry Potter himself, as Daniel Radcliffe comes to the defense of trans women in the wake of J.K. Rowling’s... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-06-09 10:00:07 UTC ]
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"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling is releasing her new book, "The Ickabog," in free online installments. The first two chapters are out now. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-05-26 19:33:57 UTC ]
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Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is releasing her latest book as a free online serial for kids "needing distraction during the strange and difficult time we're passing through" — and she's also calling on young fans to help create illustrations... Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2020-05-26 15:57:26 UTC ]
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The Harry Potter series creator is also asking her young readers to supply illustrations for the print version of the novel, available in November. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-05-26 15:11:00 UTC ]
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The Harry Potter author said her new fairy tale would go online in installments, starting Tuesday, and published as a book in November. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-05-26 14:47:26 UTC ]
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A selection of recent audiobooks of interest; plus, a peek at what our colleagues around the newsroom are reading. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-05-26 09:00:06 UTC ]
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Answer the 10 questions in the Dumbledore's Army quiz and you will find out if you are more of a Harry or Neville or one of the other members! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-06 10:34:02 UTC ]
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Daniel Radcliffe, David Beckham and Dakota Fanning are among a handful of celebrities who will be reading various chapters of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone” exclusively on Spotify. The move underscores the streaming giant's efforts to invade all things digital audio. Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2020-05-05 18:54:51 UTC ]
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Daniel Radcliffe, David Beckham and Dakota Fanning are among a handful of celebrities who will be reading various chapters of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone/Sorcerer’s Stone” exclusively on Spotify. Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2020-05-05 18:54:51 UTC ]
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David Beckham, Dakota Fanning, Eddie Redmayne and "Harry Potter" himself, Daniel Radcliffe, have all signed on to read chapters of "The Sorcerer's Stone." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-05-05 18:07:58 UTC ]
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Daniel Radcliffe will lead an all-star read-along of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-05 17:46:56 UTC ]
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The stars are coming out to bring the first Harry Potter novel to life in a new way. There have been audiobooks of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Philosopher's Stone, and (of course) a movie based on it, but this time around, big names are reading t... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2020-05-05 16:59:45 UTC ]
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Stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen Fry, and Eddie Redmayne are recording videos of themselves reading the first Harry Potter book in the latest addition to Harry Potter at Home. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-05 15:10:11 UTC ]
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Did you grow up with the Boy Who Lived? You can re-read the series or you can check out these books like Harry Potter for adults. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-29 10:32:45 UTC ]
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An awesome daily roundup of the most interesting bookish links from around the web! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-24 10:30:04 UTC ]
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Our relationships with characters from books and screen – called parasocial relationships – serve many of the same functions as our friendships with real people, minus the infection risks. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2020-04-21 03:11:35 UTC ]
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