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Bale admits fighting for 'Psycho' role

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Christian Bale has confessed that he was so desperate to land his career-changing role in the 1999 film American Psycho that he warned off other A-list actors.

The Welsh-born star, who plays Batman in the eagerly anticipated movie The Dark Knight, stunned critics with his mesmerising performance as charming but psychotic serial killer Patrick Bateman in the film.

Adapted from the controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis, Bale admits that he was completely taken by the unusual script and became determined to win the part even though it meant competing against actors who were much bigger stars than him at the time - including Leonardo DiCaprio.

Geri: I connect well with children

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Geri Halliwell has revealed that she decided to make the transition from pop star to children's author because she has been told that she connects well with children.

The 35-year-old shot to fame as a member of the Spice Girls, but shortly after the reunion world tour, it emerged that she had signed a six-book deal with Macmillan Children's Books.

The books follow the adventures of nine-year-old Ugenia Lavender and Geri says that she has always had a childish side.

Madonna's brother pens tell-all book

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone's new tell-all book is set to come out at the worst time imaginable for the singer.

Life With My Sister Madonna is due to come out on Tuesday and is set to reveal intimate details about the 49-year-old pop star.

Madonna is currently trying to fend off rumours that she is preparing to divorce husband Guy Ritchie, as well as standing accused of being responsible for the marriage break-up of baseball player Alex Rodriguez and his wife Cynthia.

Midnight's Children wins Best of Booker

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Salman Rushdie's second novel Midnight's Children has been voted the best ever winner of the Booker prize for the second time.

The Best of Booker award was announced at the London literature festival this afternoon, marking the prize's 40th anniversary.

Midnight's Children, an epic story set against the 1947 Partition of India, also won a similar contest, the Booker of Bookers, held in1993.

Henrietta Rose-Innes wins Caine prize

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

South African writer Henrietta Rose-Innes has won this year's £10,000 Caine prize for the best short story in English by an African writer for her compelling work, Poison.

Poison is a haunting account of the "new" South Africa and it has already won the 2007 South African PEN Literary Award.

Jude Kelly, the Southbank Centre's artistic director and chair of this year's judges, praised Rose-Innes for "a rare maturity and a poetic intelligence that is both subtle and deeply effective. It is writing of the highest order".