Madonna included in encyclopaedia

Madonna and JK Rowling have joined the ranks of Einstein and Freud with an entry in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

They are among the leading modern names who make it into the 2002 edition of the reference book.

Subjects which are given their first entries in the new version of the £995 (€1,600) tome include lesbianism, ecstasy and hip-hop.

Others who find they way in include actors Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dame Judi Dench and Peter Sellers as well as writers such as Poet Laureate Andrew Motion and novelist Martin Amis.

Sections of the encyclopedia were also revised to take account of the catastrophic events of the September 11 terror attacks.

The pages were on the presses and in the process of being printed at the time of the twin tower disaster, but work was halted to allow an update on entries for New York City, Terrorism, The World Trade Centre and The Pentagon.

Leading academics from many fields have worked on revisions to the articles which now number 8,000. The database has 350 new entries.

The encyclopedia is the oldest continuously published reference work in the English language.

Christine Hodgson of Encyclopedia Britannica says the work "remains entirely in tune with the world today".

"For example, the growing interest in popular culture among scholars has prompted us to devote more coverage than ever to the modern day icons of pop. At the same time, we continue to cover traditional subjects with the same scholarly excellence for which Britannica has long been known."