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 ]
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Pottermore, the digital company for J K Rowling’s Wizarding World, saw revenues rise 3.2% and profits increase 23.2% in the 12 months to 31st March 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-13 12:26:57 UTC ]
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We used to love these books, but he told me he doesn't want me to support J.K. Rowling now in any way. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2020-12-22 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Ella discovered Diagon Alley inside her wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek on her birthday. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2020-11-04 00:03:40 UTC ]
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After shaky start in lockdown, Bloomsbury sales soar as people pick books over box setsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe Harry Potter publisher, Bloomsbury, has reported its most profitable first half in more than a decade, after a nation tiring of box sets fuelled... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-10-27 12:22:12 UTC ]
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On this episode of Personal Space: The Memoir Show, Sari Botton interviews Maggie Smith, whose inspirational memoir, Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change, is published by Atria/One Signal Publishers. In the book, Smith intersperses bits of memoir — about moving forward after... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-09 08:48:58 UTC ]
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With books delayed by the pandemic reaching shops alongside other titles aimed at the Christmas market, the trade has seen sales boomBooksellers up and down the UK are reporting a boom in sales since readers returned to bookshops after the lockdown, with the first avalanche of Christmas titles... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-09-11 12:40:19 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House is celebrating Beatrix Potter’s birthday with a new audio edition of Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales, narrated by stars including Olivia Colman, Tom Hardy and David Harewood. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-27 18:13:08 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. 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. 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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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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Answer eleven questions about the Harry Potter books and the wizarding world to discover which of the Hogwarts Professors you are most like. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-16 10:34:27 UTC ]
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An updating list of online treats from bibliophiles including JK Rowling, Simon Armitage and Lynda La Plante to entertain locked-down children and adults • The best arts and entertainment during self-isolationGruffalo artist Axel Scheffler has put out a free new picture book explaining the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-04-09 11:04:32 UTC ]
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Wizarding World of Harry Potter introduces Harry Potter at Home, a new collection of free resources for readers and educators. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-01 17:06:24 UTC ]
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J K Rowling and her Wizarding World partners have announced three new initiatives under the banner Harry Potter At Home, to help children, parents, carers and teachers who are at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-01 16:21:07 UTC ]
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