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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#harry potter
There is always something magical to uncover in the world of Harry Potter, which is the ultimate premise behind “The Making of Harry Potter” on the Warner Bros. studio tour near London, an experience that continues to reveal new secrets from the film franchise. The tour’s latest — and largest —... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catholic priests in Poland draw criticism after they burned books that their owners said had evil forces. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2019-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Catholic priests in northern Poland burned books and other objects they believe promote magic. Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2019-04-01 21:44:32 UTC ]
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A Catholic group burns books and artefacts it judges to be symbols of evil sorcery. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2019-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A rare first edition of a "Harry Potter" book featuring a misspelled title fetched about $90,000 at an auction last week, the Independent reported Friday. The copy of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (published in the U.S. as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"), the first book in... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An official behind-the-scenes book of the record-breaking play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two" will be published by Little, Brown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It’s called “Crimes New Roman.” Harry Potter, the beloved children’s books by J.K. Rowling, is now a bona fide franchise, with books, theme parks, and countless movies. The latest? The Crimes of Grindelwald, a sequel to the spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It’s playing in movie... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2018-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer, campaigner and passionate critic of austerity who found fame late in life with his bestselling book Harry’s Last StandIf proof were ever needed that it is never too late to make a major impact, Harry Leslie Smith, who has died aged 95, surely offers it. He was 91 when his bestselling... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Zadie Smith and Philippe Sands are among the literary heavyweights leading Hay Festival Cartagena 2019's line-up in its "most ambitious year yet". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential also helps boost publisher’s profits by 13% A surge in sales of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and growing demand for the perennial favourite Harry Potter has helped to fuel a rise in first-half profits and revenue for the book publisher... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Children’s Books has hired Mandy Archer to head up its Harry Potter publishing team. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This October Audible will release an audiobook of Pottermore Publishing’s Harry Potter: A History of Magic, read by Natalie Dormer. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sen. Kamala Harris of California, a rising star in the Democratic Party who is sometimes cited as a possible presidential contender in 2020, has a book deal. Penguin Press announced Tuesday that Harris' "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey" will come out Jan. 8. According to Penguin, Harris... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Children’s Books has revealed that 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' will be the theme for Harry Potter Book Night 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Revivals redeemed a lackluster Broadway year. But now that the Tony Awards have closed the book on the 2017-18 season, it will be easy for producers and press agents to spin a self-congratulatory narrative. “The Band’s Visit,” as arrestingly original a show as “Hamilton” and “Fun Home,” won the... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rooted in West African mythology, Tomi Adeyemi's YA debut is a colossal hit. She talks about activism, Harry Potter, and writerly perseverance. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publisher hits £161.5m takings, driven by Potter sales and Lose Weight for GoodThe evergreen Harry Potter franchise and the popularity of TV chef Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight for Good has driven book publisher Bloomsbury’s revenue to the highest level in its 32-year history.Bloomsbury Publishing... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google is hosting the British Library’s History of Magic exhibition online as the physical version closes its doors. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books have exceeded 500 million worldwide, according to Bloomsbury. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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