There appears to be a

There appears to be a new website in town: OwlSightings, said to eventually contain “movie trailers, film clips, behind the scenes at Hogwarts …” Upon entering the site, a pop-up box prompts for one’s email address, with the promise of more information coming on May 8th. It’s speculation on my part as to the significance of that date, but reader “Crazy Girl” tells us that WB-produced program Extra mentioned May 8th as the (unconfirmed) release date for the first Chamber of Secrets trailer. Or it may have to do with the start of a contest of some sort related to the next film …

“Harry Potter und die Kammer des Schreckens” by J.K. Rowling is flying off the bookstore shelves in Berlin, while Clive Cussler’s “Il serpente dei Maya” has taken Rome by storm and Stephen Hawking’s “O universo numa casca de noz” has captured imaginations from Lisbon to Rio. A quick glance of best-seller lists in major cities around the world reveals that many of the most popular titles are translations from foreign languages.

Even as the first of the Harry Potter films run to crowded halls filled with delighted children and adults alike, the merchandising magnates are making whoopee with all kinds of Potter memorabilia. However, there are still a few people who haven’t lost sight of the woods for the trees.

The latest numbers from the publishing world: More books are being released, but fewer will likely be bought. [T]he economy is not the only culprit for the industry’s recent troubles; the children’s market has been hurt by the absence of a new Harry Potter work, with sales projected to drop from 403 million books last year to 360 million in 2003.