【 BEYOND THE WAND 】

This was lovely and heartfelt – and full of Harry Potter!

Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir
Author: Tom Felton
Published: October 2022
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 288 (hardback)

I really enjoyed reading (or in my case, listening – the audiobook was fabulous and narrated by Tom himself) to Tom’s memoir.

It’s all about growing up as a part of Harry Potter, coping with fame and Tom’s battles with mental health.

It’s a very sweet memoir and it shines through how lovely and genuine he is. Full of compassion and praise for his fellow Potter colleagues, this was a delightful insight into not only Tom’s world but his interactions and friendships with the likes of Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Jason Isaacs and many more.

I particularly enjoyed the wry humour in the chapter about Alan Rickman.

It was also beautiful how he addressed his own mental health battles, considerations of what makes an individual “rich” and confronting substance abuse. I hadn’t previously known about any of this part (it’s mostly the last few chapters).

If you’re a Potter fan or adore the sweetness that is Tom Felton, this is a quick read and certainly one to pick up.

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They called for a break, and Gambon magicked up a cigarette from out of his beard. He and I were often to be found outside the stage door, having ‘a breath of fresh air’, as we referred to it. There would be painters and plasterers and chippies and sparks, and among them all would be me and Dumbledore having a crafty cigarette.

From Borrower to wizard, Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame saw him catapulted into the limelight aged just twelve when he landed the iconic role of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.

Speaking with candour and his own trademark humour, Tom shares his experience of growing up on screen and as part of the wizarding world for the very first time. He tells all about his big break, what filming was really like and the lasting friendships he made during ten years as part of the franchise, as well as the highs and lows of fame and the reality of navigating adult life after filming finished.

Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.