Life lessons from Beedle the Bard

Author JK Rowling reads an extract from The Tales of Beedle The Bard to schoolchildren at a tea party at Edinburgh's Parliament Hall in 2008, when it was first released. Pic/Getty Images

The hardest thing Potter fans ever had to do was align themselves with the fact that the book series was over, and so were the movies. But with The Tales of Beedle the Bard, an audio book inspired by JK Rowling's iconic series, you can now revisit Potterverse. Stories like the Tale of the Three Brothers, which is beautifully depicted in the penultimate movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and The Fountain of Fair Fortune, will take you to a different world.

Sally Mortemore, who plays librarian Madam Pince in the movies, and is the voice of JK Rowling in the audio book, told mid-day she was surprised when this project came to life. "I couldn't believe it, and then, I was the voice of Rowling. How fabulous is that!" she said in a telephonic interview from London.

This audiobook, free for Audible members this year, also has actors Jude Law (the marvellous voice of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore), Warwick Davis, Noma Dumezweni (plays Hermione in the West End version), Jason Isaacs, Evanna Lynch, and Bonnie Wright. We loved Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood in the films, reciting The Fountain of Fair Fortune, but Mortemore's favourite is The Tale of the Three Brothers, narrated by Dumezweni. "I have worked with Noma and I love her work. I also think Jude is quite marvellous as Dumbledore."

As we heard the stories, we realised that the tales reinforce everything Rowling has always wanted to convey - that true love is true magic, and that anything is possible if you believe and your intentions are right. For Mortemore, who thinks that the stories are apt for all ages, the audio book helps her create wonderful images in her head. "I think as you will listen to this, you will be taken on a wave of creativity and magic."

In the times we live in, we welcome that.

Available on: Audible.in

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news