In this Sept. 17, 2012, file photo is author Elmore Leonard at his Bloomfield Township, Mich., home.Paul Sancya/The Associated Press
Novelist Leonard suffered a stroke, in a hospital U.S. novelist Elmore Leonard, known for gritty crime dramas including Get Shorty, is in a Detroit area hospital after suffering a stroke last week, the author's long-time researcher said Tuesday. The 87-year-old crime writer, who is also known for film adaptations of his works Out of Sight and 3:10 to Yuma, suffered a stroke on July 29, researcher Gregg Sutter Said. Reuters
Stoppard wins writing award British playwright Tom Stoppard has won the 2013 PEN/Pinter Prize established in memory of the late Nobel laureate and fellow dramatist Harold Pinter, organizers said on Wednesday. The 76-year-old Czech-born Stoppard, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, came to fame in the theatre for writing plays such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Jumpers and Arcadia. Reuters
Beckham to release picture book in October Former England soccer captain David Beckham will release a picture book in October featuring images from his playing career in a deal with a UK publishing unit of French media company Lagardere. The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder, who retired from football in May after a brief spell with French club Paris St Germain, is expected to release the book on October 31 with Lagardere's UK-based Headline Publishing Group. Reuters
Disney giving fans a golden ticket The Walt Disney Co. is cracking open the vault, rolling out the red carpet and pulling back the curtain for more than 45,000 expected fans at this weekend's D23 Expo, a three-day celebration of all things Disney. The extravaganza across the street from Disneyland at the Anaheim Convention Center will include special musical performances, presentations and previews of upcoming projects. However, a possible peak at what's to come from the Star Wars galaxy could steal the show. Disney bought George Lucas' Lucasfilm empire last year for $4-billion (U.S.) and plans to unleash a new Star Wars trilogy and two spin-off films beginning in 2015 with Star Wars: Episode VII, which is being directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Michael Arndt. Among the live-action films expected to be teased during a Saturday presentation are Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Solider, Saving Mr. Banks and Tomorrowland. The Associated Press