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BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, has bought the travel guide publisher, Lonely Planet, it was announced today.

Lonely Planet, founded by Tony and Maureen Wheeler in 1972, publishes around 500 titles that are widely used by backpackers.

The purchase fits in with BBC plans to grow online revenues and expand operations in America and Australia. Lonely Planet also produces travel programmes and its web site receives 4.3 million visitors a month.

The Wheelers, who owned the business along with John Singleton, will retain a 25% shareholding in the company. The amount paid was not disclosed. The BBC said that the deal would strengthen Lonely Planet’s visibility and growth potential. It would also allow Lonely Planet users to access BBC content - such as Michael Palin’s New Europe.

After travelling overland from Europe to Australia, the Wheelers produced their first book, Across Asia on the Cheap, from their kitchen table. Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, Oakland and London, with more than 500 office employees and 300 plus on-the-road authors.

Related Links >
http://www.bbcworldwide.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

JK Rowling has kept us waiting for a long time. But finally, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last in her popular series, there should be some answers to many questions. Here, in no particular order, are some threads that readers, OK, this reader, would love to see tied up >

Just who is R.A.B.? Fans already have put forth the theory that R.A.B. is Sirius Black’s brother Regulus, who is thought to be dead. Is he? Or could he have been in hiding all this time?

What happened to that Horcrux? And is the Horcrux that strange, unopenable locket Harry and friends found at 12 Grimmauld Place in Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? If so, will there be some connection to Mundungus Fletcher, who apparently has been stealing stuff from the house?

What role will Dumbledore play? Yes, yes, we know that Dumbledore is dead. And Rowling has said she means really dead, no unexpected returns a la Gandalf here. But does that mean he’s out for the count? The dead have made their presence felt in the other books, so what does that mean for Dumbledore?

What is the deal with Snape? Good guy? Bad guy? Good guy playing bad guy? Was a good guy but returned to Voldemort’s side? Never really left Voldemort’s side? What?

What’s up with Aunt Petunia? Harry’s non-magical aunt, a Muggle, has always been mean to him, and ashamed of her magical sister, Harry’s mom, but understands more than she has ever let on about the danger Voldemort represents. Rowling has hinted she has a role to play in the last book. What will it be?

Who is going to die? Rowling has said she killed off two major characters. Who will they be?

Hits and myth > JK Rowling, whose final Harry Potter novel was grabbed by fans throughout the world when it went on sale yesterday, may now look at reworking the legendary adventures of Orpheus.

JK Rowling’s next major project is set to feature a charismatic hero who uses magic powers to overcome diabolical and grotesque adversaries. Yet the next chapter of the author’s literary career is expected to focus on Orpheus rather than Harry Potter.

Edinburgh-based publishing firm Canongate has offered Rowling the chance to retell the adventures of the legendary Greek hero, who is best known for attempting to rescue his wife Eurydice from the underworld. Rowling has already expressed an interest in covering the classics after her studies in Greek and Roman mythology at Exeter University in the 1980s, and now Canongate has invited her to become its latest celebrity writer to contribute to its best-selling Myths series.

Early sales figures showed that Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final instalment of the series, flew off the shelves yesterday. WHSmith said that at one point it was selling 15 books every second, beating the 13-books-per-second record held by the previous Rowling volume, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. 

Penning a book based on the classics might bring critical acclaim for Rowling, but the fee, which normally doesn’t reach much higher than a five-figure sum for such works, would be a barely noticeable addition to her estimated £545m fortune. A host of characters in the Harry Potter series, from Chiron the centaur to Fluffy the monstrous three-headed dog, were directly inspired by Rowling’s love of ancient mythology.

A literary insider said: “She has expressed an interest in updating the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but the whole thing is being kept under wraps so not to overshadow the launch of the final Harry Potter book.”

It is understood that the invitation was made personally to Rowling by Canongate owner Jamie Byng. The publisher launched the acclaimed Myths series in 2005. “From the outset, the idea was to approach top-class writers from all over the world and invite them to retell any myth in any way they chose,” the insider said. “In turn, their myths would be published all over the world. Already a wonderful array of writers have come on board, as have 24 superb international publishers.”

There has been speculation that the end of the Potter series would allow Rowling to spend more time with husband Neil and her children, as well as dedicating more time to supporting her preferred charities: the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Scotland and Maggie’s Cancer Care. But the chance to take on a literary classic could be too much for the author to resist.

Katherine Rushton, publishing reporter with literary journal The Bookseller, believes that Rowling will have another huge hit on her hands. “People will go out and buy whatever JK chooses to write next, but updating Greek myths could be an inspired choice,” she said. “Mythology would provide that world of magic and fantasy that her readers have grown to love in the Harry Potter series. It would be fascinating to see how she interpreted classical myths and legends.”

But Rushton believes the venture would not be without risks: “Whatever JK writes next, some people will be looking for an opportunity to criticise her and she will be put up for heavy scrutiny. “She is going to have to make sure her next book is fantastic if she is going to retain her reputation. Harry Potter is a very hard act to follow.”

Dr Jon Hesk, an expert in Greek literature at St Andrews University, feels Rowling is ideal to help bring the classics to the PlayStation generation. “The magical element of classical mythology really seems to have made a big impression on JK Rowling, and Harry Potter is a hero in the Greek tradition,” he said. “Because of her knowledge of classics, Rowling is ideally placed to re-examine the mythology of Orpheus. It would undoubtedly help introduce Greek mythology to a new, younger readership.”

Hesk thinks Orpheus would be an ideal choice: “At the core of Orpheus is a tragic love story which is both classic and timeless. It is a lurid story with romance and horrible bloody death, and that is why it still fascinates people today. One of the reasons why JK Rowling might be interested in it is that there is a magical supernatural element as well. Orpheus was destined to face great challenges and mighty adversaries while developing his power, and that is something that chimes with the character of Harry Potter.”

Authors who have had works published in the Myths series include Alexander McCall Smith, whose Dream Angus was based on Celtic legends, and Canadian Margaret Atwood, who told the story of Odysseus’s wife, Penelope.

* At one minute after midnight on July 21, the final Harry Potter book will be released. Following are some facts about the Harry Potter novels and their spin-offs.
 
* J.K. Rowling completed the manuscript of her first Harry Potter story, called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1995, having written some of it in local cafes in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she was a single mother drawing state benefits.
 
* After being rejected by a series of publishers, Barry Cunningham, then of Bloomsbury publishers, signed up Rowling and the author and company never looked back. Rowling is known as the world’s first billion-dollar author.
 
* Rowling has sold 325 million copies of the first six books of the seven-book series about young wizard Harry Potter, his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his battles with evil foe Lord Voldemort.
 
* The seven books are called: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (published in 1997 and as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US in 1998), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).
 
* The final instalment is due to be released on July 21. Rowling has said she will kill off at least two characters, but has declined to specify who. The main speculation among readers and gamblers is whether or not Harry will survive at the end.
 
* Warner Bros. have distributed four Harry Potter movies so far, amassing a worldwide box office tally of around $US3.5 billion. The fifth is in cinemas now.
 
* Daniel Radcliffe, who soon turns 18, has played the central role of Harry throughout the film series, turning him into a household name in Britain. He has signed up to star in the final two films.

News Com Australia reports >

OUR gossip blogging pal over in the US, Autumn, has seemingly got her mitts on how the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows ends.

Now we’re not going to spoil it for those die-hard fans, but for those who just can’t wait to find out what happens, scroll down and highlight the white area below for some key plot lines. 
Don’t say we didn’t warn you - click out of here if you don’t want to know what Autumn has heard.

In fact, why not check out our HARRY POTTER special section?

OKAY … FINAL WARNING: If you highlight the text below, you will be ruining the story for yourself. Also, the validity of the plot lines cannot be verified.

Read this at > here