September 20, 2002 at 2:12 AM ET
Inside Harry Potter
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but not when it comes to the Harry Potter juggernaut.[NL][NL]While the world eagerly awaits the fifth instalment of J.K. Rowling's phenomenally successful series about the boy wizard, agents for the British author who has been suspected of having writer's block are being kept busy threatening legal action against bogus and plagiarized copies of the books from Russia to China.[NL][NL]The most recent target is a young Russian author, Dimitri Yemetz, who has written a 413-page book called Tanya Grotter And Her Magical Double Bass.[NL][NL]The book, published by a reputable Moscow publishing house, reportedly features a young heroine who flies on a magic musical instrument, has a mole on her nose and attends the Abracadabra School for young witches.[NL][NL]The book's cover is remarkably similar to those of the Harry Potter series.[NL][NL]Click here to read the rest of the article.[NL]Thanks to The Star for the news.