The Fan Studies Network

Call for contributors to Playing Harry Potter:

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has served as the inspiration for numerous performative acts created by and for fans of the books. While the Warner Bros. films and Universal theme parks were produced to capitalize on the books’ commercial success, HP fans have responded to the narrative in a grassroots, often non-commercial fashion—initiating performances that contribute to the ever-growing collection of Potter fan-generated content, or “fanon.” As the makers of A Very Potter Musical declare, these performances are “solely for the personal, non-commercial enjoyment of ourselves and other Harry Potter fans.” Nonetheless, they have successfully reached mass audiences and galvanized a fan base comprised largely of amateurs and persons who might otherwise be uninvolved in the arts. Moreover, fan-based performance extends beyond the production of original plays such as AVPM and Potted Potter to include a wide range of artistic representations from puppetry to Role-Play and Cosplay. This anthology of collected essays is the first to offer an examination of both the motivations and effects of Potter fan-performance and a critical analysis of the relationship these performances have to “official” or “sanctioned” Potter representations such as the Warner Bros. films, Pottermore, and the Universal theme park. Of particular interest is the investigation of the meaning (both in terms of definition and significance) of “performance” in the HP context and its wider cultural implications.

Editors seek chapter contributors for this book proposal. Topics may include but are not restricted to: Cosplay/Role-Play/Life-Play, performativity in internet forums, the Muggle Quidditch sports movement, gender bending, slash fiction, racial representation/cross racial-performance, trans-nationalism, radio plays, and shows like Potted Potter and A Very Potter Musical.

Submissions for consideration should include a 250 word abstract of the chapter and a CV. Send both to Lisa Brenner at PlayingHarryPotter@gmail.com. Deadline October 4, 2013.

This entry was posted on September 6, 2013 at 9:01 pm and is filed under CFP, Publications. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.