I don’t often gloat (correction, I don’t like to gloat – my pompous ten year old know-it-all self is testament to that), but I think on this occasion some self-congratulation is deserved. About a couple of times a month (or whenever I remember to) I check the SEO status of my other portfolio domain. On Monday night, while searching my name on Google, I discovered something…

Recently (and by recently I mean over the last month) I’ve had tea, brunch and all manner of meals in several interesting places. I am now straying away from the regular cappucinos and other coffees, especially after that near fatal road accident I had several months ago at a roundabout on a main road after I’d had a large latte (it wasn’t even that large). It really shot my nerves (as before that I’d not had a coffee in months), or rather electrified them.

EDIT (October 2011): It’s come to my attention that I’ve been cited on the DH2 score’s Wikipedia page as a music critic. I just want to confirm that I am NOT a professional writer, just a curious and passionate fan.

Late last year we heard rumours that John Williams would return to the Harry Potter franchise to compose the final Potter film, which I wasn’t particularly writing home about. I’ve actually not been much of a Williams fan in the Potter series (“Hedwig’s Theme”, “Fawkes the Phoenix” and the Prisoner of Azkaban score notwithstanding). However, it was later announced that Alexandre Desplat would stay on for Part Two.

After all, it just makes sense to finish what you’ve started.

I wrote my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One in April. I thought Desplat’s score enhanced the film wonderfully, and I was confident that Part Two was in sensitive and capable hands. Listening to Part Two now, I can happily back that prediction.

It’s been just over four years exactly since the last Harry Potter book came out (21 July 2007). I still remember the time as clear as day – waking up at 6am on a Saturday, on one of the coldest July days, dressed in Gryffindor garb to meet up with my friend to be part of the phenomenon, and completely disregarding my other obligations, like homework. I even ended up being on the ABC’s evening news, though I didn’t know about it until after my friend told me. What a day! The following week I caught a nasty cold as I recall it – now that’s commitment.

Do you remember what you were doing on that 21st day of July in the year 2007? Celebrating Harry Potter, I hope.

Jane Eyre is one of the world’s most loved books. It certainly is very special to me. And with the pending film release of yet another adaptation (I’m terrified of seeing it, yet I cannot wait!), there’s been a recent influx of reissues of the classic novel, penned by Charlotte Bronte in the 19th century. New editions of literary classics are a cause for excitement and occasionally dismay – there have been some beautiful redesigns lately, in particular by Penguin. However, I was horrified to to see such classics as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, even Pride and Prejudice, being rebranded as clichéd young adult fiction, which strongly suggests that publishers are trying to cash in on the very loose connection Twilight‘s creator made between her vampire romance series with the aforementioned classics. But hey, if this marketing gimmick gets the kids interested in reading the classics, more power to them.

On the other hand, as a designer and observer it pains me to see a disregard for the content within on book cover designs, which could make a potentially iconic work into just another meaningless, dispensable thing. I’ve always aimed to follow the dictum that content dictates style and not …