Fresh Ink (7/8)

Here’s the news you may have missed all gathered in one handy, informative place. 

1. J.K. Rowling Gives Us More Potter!

Who would have thought we would wake up today with more ink spilled in the Harry Potter canon? Not me, but I am certainly happy about it. The 1500-word short story titled “Dumbledore’s Army Reunites at Quidditch World Cup Final” can be read on her interactive website Pottermore (you must be registered to read it), which crashed earlier due to the flood of traffic from Potter-hungry fans.

The short story follows adult Harry Potter (now in his 30s) as he attends the Quidditch World Cup with his family, Ron, and Hermione. We learn details of the series’ main characters including their occupations – some of which are different than what Rowling released in those months following the final book. The story is written in the voice of Rita Skeeter, the unethical and scathing gossip columnist from the series. True to Skeeter’s fashion, the piece is filled with scorn and speculation and accusations rooted in falsity.

Thankfully, it looks like the Potter mischief hasn’t been managed just yet.

2. A List Worth Dreaming About

The Millions, aka my most beloved book-centric website, released their incredible biannual book preview list yesterday titled “Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2014 Book Preview.” With over 8,000 words written about 84 titles, the list itself is a literary feat.

Some of the big names to look out for are Lena Dunham, Ian McEwan, Roxane Gay, and Hilary Mantel. Personally, I am most excited for Margaret Atwood’s Stone Mattress:  Nine Tales, which will be the author’s first short story collection in almost 8 years; David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks: A Novel, which apparently has Mitchell at his most genre-bending best; and Haruki Murakami’s Colorless Tsukuru and His Years of Pilgrimage, because I’m interested in Murakami’s shift from the fantastical to the real.

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What was your favorite book- or publishing-related news of the week?