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DM Presents: Potter Mania

Ren — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:05:17 +0000

Darkmark proudly introduces you to its latest event: HP Mania; rediscovering Harry Potter!

A two week long event starring on our forums that takes you back to those very special first days of fandom! How long have you been a fan? What events do you remember best? Past signatures and avatars parade the forums once more! Come and relive those favorite moments, quotes, characters and some of your least favorite. We want you to rediscover the fun and the magic!

Over the next two weeks were going t be organising trivia compitions, One shots, Sig and Av competitions and be revising and reinventing many of our threads from the past. You are invited!

Where: The Great Hall
Headquarters to all discussions and fun!

When: The fun ends on the 14th of January, hurry to be there!

Who: YOU!!!!

BYOB (Bring your own Books )

Signed DH Auctioned for Charity

Adam — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:06:04 +0000

A first edition, signed copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has recently been auctioned for charity. The book raised £2,050 for Cancer Research UK.

To view the article, click here.

Thanks to SnitchSeeker!

Daniel Radcliffe donates signed HP books to Memorial fund

Adam — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:52:23 +0000

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) has recently donated signed Harry Potter books to the Katie Hart-Greenfield Memorial Fund, a fund set up after 15 year old Katie Hart died of a brain tumor last year. Both Daniel and Katie previously met when she was battling the illness and also wrote a piece for her funeral. The books went up for auction to raise funds for the Little Havens Hospice, the place where Katie spent her last days.

Katie’s Dad, Nick Hart commented;

“Katie and Daniel met each other a couple of times and he sent a very heartfelt message, which was read out at her funeral. It’s great he has continued to show his support, and it shows what a lovely young man he is.”

If you would like to see the article and a bit more, click here.

Thanks to SnitchSeeker!

New York “Deathly Hallows” release party

Rachelle — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:44:35 +0000

The New York Times recently announced that on Tuesday, July 7th, Scholastic is hosting a release party for the paperback version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The release party will be held at the Scholastic store at 557 Broadway, between Prince and Spring Streets, in SoHo, New York from 10:00 AM- 6:00 PM. There will be many fun activities for everyone and when you purchase a Deathly Hallows book in paperback you recieve a free poster. Also amongst the activities will be a raffle of a full hardback set of the Harry Potter series and an autographed illustration by Mary Grandpre.

Hogwarts comes to SoHo in this celebration of the publication of the paperback edition of the final volume in the Harry Potter series. But even children who have read it in hardcover will enjoy the activities: Harry Potter trivia contests, opportunities to make potions and wands and being “sorted” into the appropriate house as student wizards.

Harry Potter Plagiarized?

Alyssa — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:57:33 +0000

Did J.K. Rowling Rip Off Willy the Wizard?
The heirs of author Adrian Jacobs are suing Rowling’s publisher for £500 million, claiming that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire lifted “substantial parts” from Jacobs’ 1987 book The Adventures of Willy the Wizard: Livid Land.

Adrian Jacobs’s book Willy The Wizard – also about a child discovering he has magical powers – was published in 1987, ten years before the first in the Harry Potter series and three years before Miss Rowling says she came up with her idea.

He allegedly sent the manuscript to Christopher Little, the literary agent at Bloomsbury Publishing who went on to represent Miss Rowling, but it was rejected. Mr Jacobs passed away in 1997, but the accusations come from his heirs, son and grandson.

Legal proceedings have been issued at the High Court against Bloomsbury, and the Jacobs estate also says it will file a lawsuit against Miss Rowling.

The estate is also seeking an injunction to prevent further sales of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, and damages or a share in the book’s profits.

Click here, to view the full article.

American Library Association announces a touring Harry Potter exhibit

Rachelle — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:41:25 +0000

The American Library Association announced yesterday that a Harry Potter exhibit will be touring 12 libraries in the U.S. The tour will begin in September 2009 and will end in November 2010, therefore it will stay in each location for 4 weeks. The following are the 12 libraries that were chosen to hold the exhibit:

The libraries selected to host the “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine” exhibit (in alphabetical order by state) are:

Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg, Ill.

Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, Ind.

Mount Holyoke College Library, South Hadley, Mass.

Murrell Memorial Library, Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Mo.

Northern Onondaga Public Library, Cicero, N.Y.

Durham County Library, Durham, N.C.

Chardon Public Library, Geauga County Public Library, Chardon, Ohio

Charleston County Public Library and Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.

Karl E. Mundt Library-Dakota State University, Madison, S.D.

Germantown Community Library, Germantown, Tenn.

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas

Orem Public Library, Orem, Utah

For more information about the exhibit you can click here.

Thanks to SnitchSeeker.

Prisoner of Azkaban sketches to be auctioned off

Rachelle — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:22:30 +0000

Sketches of the British Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban cover art, which were draw by illustrator Cliff Wright, are to be auctioned off later this month at the Glasgow Art Fair. The sketches being auctioned are the pen and pencil drawings that appeared on the front and back covers of the book. The Glasgow Art Fair will run from April 23rd- 26th. It is also said that they expect huge amounts of money for these two drawings.

The front illustration, which features the bespectacled wizard and his classmate Hermione Granger clinging to the back of hippogriff, is expected to sell for £13,000. The second sketch, which features a snarling dog, is predicted to raise £11,000.

Companion Books get a new Look by Bloomsbury

Adam — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:23:05 +0000

The publisher of the Harry Potter series, Bloomsbury has recently announced that they will be re-releasing the Harry Potter companion books, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beast and where to Find them. Both of the new editions will be released July 31st 2009. A spokesperson for the UK publisher has come out to says;

“There are always new Harry Potter readers coming to the series each year who will be looking for other exciting things to read.”

If you would like to see the article plus look at the new covers, click here. Thanks to TLC

Bloomsbury Thrives

Adam — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:31:01 +0000

Recently Bloomsbury has reported higher then expected profits last year. 2008 being “post Harry Potter”, the publisher has reported a profit of 11.63 million pounds. Though this is a profit for Bloomsbury, they have earned less then in 2007; 17.86 million pounds.

More good news for Bloomsbury is that they had the two highest-selling books of the year in the Times bestsellers’ list. The Tales of Beedle the Bard being one of them.

If you would like to see the article, click here

The Great Debate

Adam — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:47:58 +0000

Recently Seattle’s Central Library hosted a packed house for their “Great Debate: Harry Potter vs. Twilight”. The debate attracted opinions from around the world, with emails streaming in from countries such as The Netherlands, South Africa and Great Britain.

Debaters on both sides argued many points for each series, including themes portrayed by the novels, the numerous villains as well as the role of woman in each of the books.

Results – J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series received a total of 120 votes to Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series which only collected 40 votes.

If you would like to see the article, click here. The article also includes a video of the debate.