Bring Hogwarts home: Rowling makes 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' ebook free to rescue bored kids in lockdown
The audiobook is also available for free throughout April.
By Reuters |
Reuters
Each week "Wizarding Wednesdays" and an email newsletter will provide creative activities, quizzes and ideas.
LONDON: British author JK Rowling is hoping her much-loved 'Harry Potter' series will work its magic on bored children stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', the first book in the series about the boy wizard, will be available for free worldwide as an ebook and audiobook throughout April, as part of an initiative to help parents, carers and teachers entertain housebound children, Rowling announced on Wednesday.
The audiobook will be available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese, with the version performed by British actor Stephen Fry accessible in North America for the first time.
A new online hub, 'Harry Potter At Home', will be aimed at younger children and launched on WizardingWorld.com, the official website for fans of Harry Potter and the spin-off film series Fantastic Beasts.
Each week "Wizarding Wednesdays" and an email newsletter will provide creative activities, quizzes and ideas.
The coronavirus pandemic has seen more and more countries limiting citizens' movements, closing schools and leaving many parents simultaneously working from home and looking after their children.
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A new online hub, 'Harry Potter At Home', will be aimed at younger children and launched on WizardingWorld.com. Britain is in its second week of lockdown, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 23 that people would only be allowed to leave the house when absolutely necessary, such as to buy food.
"The teachers, parents and carers working to keep children's lives as normal and happy as possible while we're all on lockdown deserve a bit of magic," Rowling said.
"I hope these initiatives will give children and even adults a happy distraction during their enforced stay-at-home time."
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The Harry Potter series was an unprecedented worldwide phenomenon in children's literature, enthralling a generation of readers around the world. It sold more than 500 million copies in 80 languages and sparked a $7 billion movie franchise.
Happy Birthday JK Rowling: Interesting Facts About The Author Every True Fan Should Know
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All-time favourite author, the creator of 'Harry Potter', philanthropist and over-all Twitter queen, JK Rowling is living proof that magic exists. For her 52nd birthday on July 31 (which she shares with her wizard boy), here are some facts about Joanne Rowling that every true fan must know.
(Image: jkrowling.com)
All-time favourite author, the creator of 'Harry Potter', philanthropist and over-all Twitter queen, JK Rowling is living proof that magic exists. For her 52nd birthday on July 31 (which she shares w..
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The author was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital just outside Bristol as Joanne Rowling.
Joanne wrote her first novel about a rabbit, titled 'Rabbit', at the young age of six.
For the 'Harry Potter' series, she used the acronym JK (even though she doesn't have a middle name) at her publisher’s request, who thought a book by a female author might not work. She chose the 'K' for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother.
Here: Rowling with her mother, Anne, and younger sister. (Image: Twitter/JKRowling)
The author was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital just outside Bristol as Joanne Rowling.
Joanne wrote her first novel about a rabbit, titled 'Rabbit', at the young age of six.
For the..
Read More
A pioneer for mental health awareness, Rowling has openly spoken about her own battle with depression as a young, single mother, and about contemplating suicide.
Her biggest fear is losing a loved one. Rowling has spoken about regretting not getting a chance to tell her mother about the 'Harry Potter' series, which she started writing six months before her death.
A pioneer for mental health awareness, Rowling has openly spoken about her own battle with depression as a young, single mother, and about contemplating suicide.
Her biggest fear is losing a loved o..
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The author is known for her charitable work. She created the Volant Charitable Trust in 2000 to help children and women in Scotland. She has also contributed generously towards multiple sclerosis research.
She even lost her billionaire status once and was removed from Forbes' list of the World's Billionaires for donating around $160 million to charity.
(Image: jkrowling.com)
The author is known for her charitable work. She created the Volant Charitable Trust in 2000 to help children and women in Scotland. She has also contributed generously towards multiple sclerosis res..
Read More
After finishing the seven books in the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling kept the magic alive with ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ and ‘Quidditch Through The Ages’, which were published in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. She went on to pen ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’ in aid of her international children’s charity, Lumos, in December 2008. And now, two new books will accompany ‘The British Library Harry Potter: A History of Magic’ exhibition on 20th October, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the publication of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’.
After finishing the seven books in the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling kept the magic alive with ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ and ‘Quidditch Through The Ages’, which were published in ..
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