Harry Potter: Still Recruiting!
Harry Potter: Still Recruiting!
Harry Potter defined a decade and more. In its wake, children began reading, began gravitating to the fantasy section. The midnight book release began, along with Wizard Rock, parodies, movies, college Quiddich teams, and finally a theme park. It built some of its popularity and reputation through hot nineties technology, the internet with its fan fiction, chatrooms, and lexicons. And in its unprecedented fandom we see how startlingly a book can become popular, become a phenomenon. This collection looks at Harry Potter as a reflection of us, twenty-first century fans, and addresses how our pop culture has helped and been helped by the Harry Potter phenomenon. Since much has been written of the early years, essays on activities post-book seven are especially welcome.
Possible topics include:
Harry Potter as pop culture.
Media references and spoofs of Harry Potter
Harry Potter on the internet (Rowling's website, spoilers, MuggleNet, the Lexicon, and other fan sites, Rowling's post-book interviews)
Rowling's outside-book revelation that Dumbledore is gay
Canon outside the books in the internet era
Predictions and Spoilers
Parodies, lawsuits, copyright
Nonfiction, movie tie-ins, and spin offs
Fanfiction (that is, essays exploring the Harry Potter fanfic phenomenon)
Wizard rock, shops, and fan products
Whether Beedle the Bard adds significantly to the Harry Potter phenomenon
How Harry Potter changed kids' lives
How Harry Potter led to Twilight or The Hunger Games, etc.
The movies
Computer games and board games
The conferences
College Quiddich
Interviews
What's next
The completed essays should be 4000-5000 words. Essays must adhere to MLA format and be friendly and approachable, yet academic in scope and content. This collection is not yet under contract, but I have several interested publishers who are awaiting a list of essays to be included.
Proposal Guidelines: Please send a 350-500 word summary of your proposed essay pasted into your email, along with a short professional bio or cover letter.
Proposal Deadline: June 30, 2011
Direct inquiries and proposals can be sent to valerie @ calithwain.com with a subject of HARRY POTTER SUBMISSION