We talk about the ways presenters found new insights in character studies (of Professor McGonagall, Luna Lovegood, Dolores Umbridge) and thematic studies (models of education, medieval tropes, house-elf liberation), how they embraced new methodologies (digital humanities, geography) and asked new questions (Why are love potions feminized? Where did Rowling get her understanding of Cormoran Strike’s injury?), and how they considered not just the books but also films (including
Fantastic Beasts) and fan works. Many presentations connected Rowling’s stories with the world we are living in today. Where is
Potter scholarship headed? Why are these stories still so relevant to us? We share our thoughts on general trends in the field, as witnessed in the variety of topics presented year-to-year.
Join us for a fun and varied roundtable conversation about the research presented at the conference and our experience of the event, which has become a kind of pilgrimage site for fans and aca-fans.