Harry Potter Swancon Panel

[sqbr]

So...it turns out I'm running the Harry Potter Panel at Swancon. By myself. (No fault to Dave, apparently everyone else said no. Bah to them!)

Which is somewhat problematic given that while I have a LOT of opinions (that's why I volunteered) they're mostly negative and uninformed, and thus likely to get me lynched :) So anyone who actually thinks the books are good (and doesn't mind sharing a panel with someone who thinks they're enjoyable but flawed) want to do it with me? Otherwise I'll just coopt the first friendly face to turn up to the panel :D

It's at 2pm on Monday.

Anyone who has ideas on stuff to talk about/useful facts/links etc please pipe up!



Panel synopsis (which I feel comfortable stretching a bit since I didn't write it :))

Harry Potter: The Final Analysis
The seventh and final book has been published, and the back cover
closed on one of the biggest fiction phenomenons of all time. So
what, in the final analysis, does Harry Potter represent? A look at
its effect and influence on children's fiction, fantasy fiction,
Internet fandom and the book publishing industry.

Some ideas I had

I do not have answers to many of these questions :/

What's so special about Harry Potter?
-popularity
-breadth of popularity (not just kids)
-impact on public consciousness
-Intensity of fandom, including large acafandom

What are the reasons for this?
-easy to read but engaging and lots of ideas
-follow on effects from popularity
-uses idtatstic tropes ie Magical Orphan on Quest, "Hero of a Thousand Faces" stuff etc

What effect has it had?
-Encouraged reading?
-Revitalised childrens/sff publishing?
-Acafandom
-Fandom in general
-Strikethrough

What's going to happen next?
-Popularity?
-Academia/literary status?
-Will large scale effects it had dissipate quickly? Have they already?

What do we really think of it anyway?

EDIT: Links and stuff other people have suggested:

• Penny Dreadful very kindly compiled a list of really interesting links
  
• HPforGrownups
  
• Fiction Ally
  

Comments

[fred-mouse.livejournal.com]

artisanat is very knowledgeable about harry potter, having read all of the books (including the two comedy fundraising ones), watched (I think) all the movies. Have no idea what he might want to say about it, but I'll make the suggestion to him anyway.

[callistra.livejournal.com]

There are two comedy fundraising ones?
Gosh.

[thanners.livejournal.com]

Very, very small book(let)s.

I can't remember their names despite the fact that I actually purchased them...

[pedanther]

Quidditch Through The Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, supposedly facsimile editions of two books from the Hogwarts library, complete with handwritten marginalia by H. Potter, R. Weasley, and friends. Proceeds from the sale thereof went to the British Comic Relief charity.

[alias_sqbr]

Cool, hopefully he can come to the panel and fill in the gaps as we try to think of intelligent things to say :)