News

So why is Brad Pitt sporting a oversized goatie? Seems he's growing it to play the role of British explorer Percy Fawcett in the movie version of The Lost City of Z. His beard has caused the gossip pages to gossip even more with the knock on effect of sending the book up the bestselling charts in the US.

Random House wil be publishing the fourth novel in Mervyn Peake's 'Gormenghast' trilogy, which was written by Maeve Gilmore, Peake's widow. The book will be titled Titus Awakes. The UK Bookseller reported that 'Gilmore wrote the book after Mervyn Peake's death in 1968, basing it on a page and a half of fragmented notes left by the author. The manuscript was recently unearthed from a box in the attic of Peake's granddaughter's home.

'The book continues the story of the Titus, the 77th Earl of Groan, following the events related in Titus Groan, Gormenghast and Titus Alone. Peake's son Sebastian said his father had in fact intended to write a whole series of books charting his character's life from cradle to grave.' 

Titus Awakes will be published mid 2011.

Variety has reported that 'Columbia Pictures is moving forward with The Lost Symbol' - the third adaptation of the the 'Da Vinci Code' franchise. Apparently 'Tom Hanks, who played Langdon in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, has not yet committed to reprise the role but is expected to. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard have signed on to produce.'

The Diary of Anne Frank, the definitive edition, has been removed from school libraries in Culpeper County, US. It seems someone complained due to the book, which is the unedited version of Ann's diary, havin too many sexual references.

The Macquarie Australian Word of the Year is:

shovel-ready

adjective (of a building or infrastructure project) capable of being initiated immediately as soon as funding is assured.

The People's Choice went to:

tweet

verb (i) 1. to post a message on the social network site Twitter.

–verb (t) 2. to post such a message to (someone).

–noun 3. such a message.

Honourable mentions went to:

heritage media (communications)

noun media, as print newspapers, television, etc., which, although strong and influential in the past, are thought to be losing viability in the face of changing methods of communication. Compare social media

petrichor (ecology)

noun a mixture of natural oils and terpenes released by eucalypts which, when washed by rain into watercourses, is a signal to fish, invertebrates, etc., that the season is sufficiently wet to support breeding. [Greek petros stone + ichor fluid; coined by Australian geochemists Richard

head-nodder (politics)

noun a supporter of a politician or other media figure who stands beside them in the frame of a television shot and nods his or her head in agreement with what the speaker is saying.

–head-nodding, noun

cyberbully (psychology)

noun (plural cyberbullies) 1. a person who bullies another using email, chat rooms, social network sites, etc.

–verb (t) (cyberbullied, cyberbullying) 2. to bully (another) in this way. Also, cyber bully, cyber-bully.

–cyberbullying, noun

roar factor (sport)

noun Sport the influence that a home crowd has on a referee or umpire in making adjudications. [from the roar of protest from the crowd at a perceived infringement by a player]