When is a book not a book? When it is performed by a starry cast of hundreds. Except it has always been more complicated than thatNews this week of a 17% hike in the UK’s audiobook sales might seem like a niche business story, but it raises an existential question. What exactly is an audiobook today? Is it a book? Is it a play? Or is it becoming something else entirely? What is clear is that a jostle for market dominance is driving it into new dimensions. The streaming platform Spotify followed its move into podcasting two years ago with the launch of an audiobooks business. Though it has yet to start making its own recordings, last autumn it made a deal for 200,000 audiobooks to be available to its premium users.Not to be outdone, Amazon-owned Audible – accustomed to being the market leader – upped its game, hiring the Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes to record multi-voice versions of the Dickens novels Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, and announcing last month that it had reached an agreement for a recording of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, voiced by more than 100 actors and featuring a “groundbreaking new soundscape”. The new Potter audiobooks, it said, would not usurp but “sit alongside and complement” conventional recordings by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale, which Audible also hosts. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-10 17:25:03 UTC ]
When the U.K. newspaper the Sunday Times outed J.K. Rowling as the author of detective novel The Cuckoo's Calling earlier this year, computer scientists were among the first people called in. Although the novel was published under the pen name Robert Galbraith, two computational... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-09-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a video on 'Good Morning America' celebrating the 15th anniversary of the release of the 'Harry Potter' books in the US, Rowling singles out Dumbledore as the 'Potter' character she misses the most. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut author Samantha Shannon has received plenty of pre-release buzz for her novel 'The Bone Season,' which comes out today. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new book by a University of Vermont professor found that 'Harry Potter' fans have similar views on political topics – with a large majority in opposition to the George W. Bush administration. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The new 'Harry Potter' covers, by artist and writer Kazu Kibuishi, were created to honor the 15th anniversary of the US publication of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'A Celebration of Harry Potter' is scheduled for this January. Will it include a look at the new portion of the 'Wizarding World' park? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The birthday of Harry Potter falls on July 31 (which also happens to be the birthday of J.K Rowling). In the Potter universe, the days are usually eventful ones. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Having a hard time finding something on the internet? You're probably doing it wrong -- at least that seems to be Microsoft's supposition. The company has recently revised its Bing autosuggest categories to help users find the correct search parameters for the content they're looking for. The... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google has added images of the Diagon Alley set from the 'Harry Potter' movies to its Street View function, allowing users to virtually walk through the magical shopping center. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling has secretly written a crime novel under the guise of male debut writer Robert Galbraith. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling's "secret" crime novel tops book charts after it is revealed she wrote it under a pseudonym. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2013-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A rare first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with annotations and drawings by JK Rowling sells for a record £150,000. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2013-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Universal Studios in Hollywood will raze the 41-year-old Gibson Amphitheatre to make way for its coming Harry Potter attraction, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Studios in Hollywood will raze the 41-year-old Gibson Amphitheatre to make way for its coming Harry Potter attraction,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kazu Kibuishi, writer and illustrator of the 'Amulet' graphic novel series, created seven new covers for paperback editions of the 'Harry Potter' novels, to be released on the 15th anniversary of the series. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Harry Potter' cast members are reportedly filming a short movie that will be screened at the franchise's theme parks. What will the new film show? Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It used to be easy to give your loved ones books for the holidays. You went to a bookstore, browsed the shelves , and picked out something thoughtful: Jodi Picoult’s latest for your mom, Harry Potter for your niece, maybe a Bill O’Reilly rant for that uncle who never shuts up at Thanksgiving. ... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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JK Rowling's novel, The Casual Vacancy, suffers a formatting error in the US making it near-impossible to read on some e-readers. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2012-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First, this is not Harry Potter. Those hoping for a dusting of Dumbledore, a sprinkling of Snape... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Her first post-Harry Potter book is a work of adult fiction, but its release follows an earlier playbook: It's been kept from prying eyes. Mystery ensues.J.K. Rowling wrote "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" as a single mum on the dole. Seven books, 4,100 pages and a blockbuster film... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J. K. Rowling says she'd need a 'fabulous idea' to go back to the world of Harry Potter. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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