Harry Potter Symposium Makes The News

in PopPolitics, Eliza T. Dresang, a professor in the School of Information Studies at Florida State University, and an expert on — and a fan of — the Harry Potter series, is interviewed about two of her recently published scholarly pieces about the Harry Potter books. She also mentions that she’s going to present at Nimbus – 2003, the Harry Potter symposium that’s drawing guests and speakers from around the world to Orlando, Florida from July 17 – 20, 2003.

This summer there is going to be a symposium on Harry Potter in Orlando — between 500 and 1,000 adults (only) are expected — with programs for both scholars and fans. The organizers hope it will become an annual event. I’ll be on a panel (with the head of the Office of Intellectual Freedom from the American Library Association) about Harry Potter and censorship as well as talking about Hermione.

In the past few weeks, the Nimbus – 2003 team has added a few FAQ on submitting a proposal for a panel discussion or presentation on the books or a fandom culture topic, and launched a page of sponsorship information for businesses that want to support the event (including retailers and booksellers) and websites that want to spread news about the event.