Sunday, November 26, 2006

SECTUS 2007 - AN UNOFFICIAL HARRY POTTER CONFERENCE
Park Crescent Conference Centre, London, UK.
Thursday 19th July - Sunday 22nd July 2007=20

CALL FOR PAPERS

Sectus 2007 offers attendees the opportunity to celebrate the tenth
anniversary of J.K. Rowling's series at a major fandom conference to be
held in the heart of London

The main focus of the conference will be on the Harry Potter series, the
fandom and its many areas of interest. Suggested topics for
presentations include, but are by no means restricted to:

- Science and technology:
Can science be said to exist in the Wizarding World, and if so, how far
does it reflect our real-world knowledge? Is magic bound by the laws of
physics?

- Mythology, alchemy and symbolism:
How myths and legends support Rowling's storytelling, and how an
examination of alchemical theory and symbolism can help us unravel the
secrets within the text.

- Education:
The portrayal of education in the Wizarding World, the effective use of
Rowling's books in real-world education and is the 'reading revolution'
a myth?

- Social and political issues:
Explorations of class, race, gender and sexuality in the narrative, the
Wizarding World and/or derived fan works.

- Fandom history:
From paper to screen - how would the HP fandom have fared without the
internet, and what lies ahead for the fandom after the publication of
the seventh book?

- Fandom issues:
Staying on the right side of international law, fan fiction vs. fan art,
gender and the fan community.

Proposals should contain the following information:

- Title of presentation (must clearly indicate the subject matter)
- Abstract/Synopsis (100-200 words) - For lectures only
- Length of time required for presentation (estimate)
- Short biography for conference programme (50-200 words)

Proposal submission deadline: 31st January 2007
Full paper submission deadline: 30th April 2007
Format: All proposals and submissions should be presented in .doc or .rtf format and forwarded by e-mail only to submissions@sectus.org using the subject line 'Sectus 2007 Proposal' or 'Sectus 2007 Paper' as appropriate.

All work must be original/your own work and you must be registered with
Sectus to have your proposal accepted.

For further information and to register, please visit the Sectus 2007
website at http://www.sectus.org
.

Please note that attendance at Sectus 2007 is restricted to those aged
18 and over, and requires registration in advance.