Harry Potter author JK Rowling has written a new book, her first since the final bestseller about the boy wizard came out earlier this year.
But most fans will not be able to buy a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard -- just seven copies of the work will be produced, with six going to people involved with the Potter books, and a seventh being auctioned in London.
The book is the volume of five wizarding fairy tales left to Potter's friend Hermione Granger by headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the seventh and last Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
One of the tales - a distillation of the themes of the seven Potter works - appears in Deathly Hallows, but the remaining four are told in The Tales of Beedle the Bard for the first time.
Each copy of the book is handwritten and illustrated by Rowling on translucent vellum paper as well as being leather bound and covered with silver and jewels.
Rowling said that writing the book had helped her to come to terms with the end of Potter.
"It's like coming up from a deep dive I suppose," she told BBC radio.
"I've been writing about the world. It's not about Harry, Ron and Hermione but it comes from that world so it's been therapeutic in a way, a nice way to say goodbye."
The author also revealed that she is also working on a "half-finished book for children" which will probably be the next one she publishes.
The titles of the five tales in the book are The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock's Hairy Heart, The Tale of the Three Brothers, The Wizard and the Hopping Pot and Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump. (AFP)
哈利波特的作者JK羅琳已寫完一本新書，這本書是繼今年年初發行的暢銷書哈利波特完結篇後，羅琳的第一部作品。
然而，哈迷卻不會在市面上看到這本《吟遊詩人皮陀故事集》，因為這本新書將僅限量出版七本，其中六本羅琳準備獻給這些年來與哈利波特系列小說息息相關的朋友，第七本則將在倫敦拍賣。
這本書集結了五則魔法世界的童話故事，在哈利波特第七集《死神的聖物》中，霍格華茲校長鄧不利多將這本書送給了波特的朋友妙麗。
其中一則結合了七本哈利波特主題精華的故事出現在《死神的聖物》中，其餘四則故事則從未面世。
七本新書都是由羅琳親自手寫，並附上羅琳的插圖手稿，內頁是半透明的上等皮紙，並以鑲有珠寶的皮革封面。
羅琳表示，著手寫這本書有助於她接受哈利波特系列故事的結束。
「我想這種感覺就好比要從深潛的水中游上來一樣，」她在接受英國廣播公司訪問時說。
「我正在寫的故事還是有關魔法世界，雖然那不再是哈利、榮恩及妙麗的故事，但至少還是那個世界，這多少有一點治療的作用，是一種比較能讓我接受的道別方式。」
羅琳也透露她正在寫一本童書，目前已寫了一半，這本書應該會是她下一本大量出版的作品。
《吟遊詩人皮陀故事集》中的五則故事名稱分別為：財寶噴泉、毛茸茸心臟的魔法師、三兄弟故事、巫師和他的跳跳鍋，還有巴比蒂兔與她的聒噪樹樁（暫譯）。
（法新社／翻譯：袁星塵）
A Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel “Shunxin-39” was believed to have caused damage to an undersea cable of Taiwan telecoms operator Chunghwa Telecom on the morning of Jan. 3. It was suspected that the Chinese merchant ship, which was registered with the nationality of another country, deliberately cut off the cable by dragging the anchor over it. While the incident is still under investigation, China has a long history of using maritime tactics to sabotage Taiwan’s infrastructure. In February last year, two cables linking Taiwan to its outlying Matsu Islands were damaged within days of each other by a Chinese fishing
Have you ever dreamed of using an entire city as your training ground, effortlessly moving across walls, buildings, stairs, and obstacles? This is not just a fantasy from the movies. In cities around the world, a group of enthusiasts practice this seemingly impossible sport — “parkour.” The origins of parkour can be traced back to 20th-century France. A military officer named Georges-Hebert witnessed the incredible physical abilities of local residents in Africa, which inspired him to create the Methode Naturelle, or natural method. This training method cleverly combined climbing, running, and swimming with artificial barriers to mimic nature. Later, David Belle
A: Who else is on Billboard’s list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century?” B: No. 15 to 6 are: Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Usher, Adele, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Britney Spears. A: I can’t believe that Adele’s only at No. 10. B: No. 5 to 1 are: Lady Gaga, Drake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyonce. A: Well, they surely deserve the honor. A: 《告示牌》雜誌的「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」，還有誰上榜啊？ B: 第15至6名是：麥莉希拉、大賈斯汀、妮姬米娜、阿姆、亞瑟小子、愛黛兒、亞莉安娜、小賈斯汀、肯伊威斯特、小甜甜布蘭妮。 A: 真不敢相信愛黛兒只排第10名。 B: 第5至1名是：女神卡卡、德瑞克、蕾哈娜、泰勒絲、碧昂絲。 A: 這幾位真是實至名歸！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: The 21st Century is now entering its 25th year. B: So Billboard has released a list: “The 25 greatest pop stars of the 21st Century.” A: Who are the greatest pop singers? B: No. 25 to 16 are: Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Bad Bunny, One Direction, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, BTS, The Weeknd, Shakira and Jay-Z. A: Wow, my favorite K-pop supergroup BTS has made it to the list. A: 21世紀正在邁入第25個年頭了。 B: 《告示牌》雜誌特別公布：「21世紀最偉大的25位流行歌手」。 A: 最偉大的歌手有哪些？ B: 第25至16名是：凱蒂佩芮、紅髮艾德、壞痞兔、1世代、小韋恩、火星人布魯諾、防彈少年團（BTS）、威肯、夏奇拉、Jay-Z。 A: 哇，我最愛的韓流天團BTS也上榜了！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
RSS