Call for Papers: Phoenix Rising

This is for all you Harry Potter fans and scholars out there.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Phoenix Rising New Orleans, LA May 17-21, 2007
A Harry Potter Symposium presented by Narrate Conferences, Inc.

Phoenix Rising, an interdisciplinary Harry Potter-themed symposium to take place May 17-21, 2007, in New Orleans, Louisiana, seeks papers, panels, interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, and other presentation formats suitable for an audience of academics, students, professionals, and fans.

The overarching conference themes focus on rebirth, cycles, and the rise of the hero at the end of the sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Additionally, special attention will be given to the arts, including examinations of Harry Potter and its convergence with music, visual arts, and film. The programming will not be limited to those themes, however, and presentations that address the Harry Potter series, related works, and phenomenon across all disciplines are encouraged as well. A non-exhaustive list of sample topics includes literary analyses of the novels; studies of the cultural phenomenon; use of the novels in schools and libraries for education; examination of related business and legal issues; scientific explanations of magic in the series; media and fan studies; craft-based workshops in writing, art, and publishing; and overviews of how the series and films fit into larger contexts.

Submission to the vetting board is by online system only. No other format or contact will be accepted. The submission system is located at Phoenix Rising Submissions, and will be open on March 31, 2006.

For those requiring an early decision in order to obtain travel funding, the deadline for submission is September 1, 2006 with a response no later than September 10, 2006. All other submissions are due by November 1, 2006 with a response date of December 1, 2006. At the time of submission, we require an abstract of 300-500 words for each separate presentation, a 50-100 word summary, and a short 50-100 word presenter biography. Those wishing to submit a proposal for a roundtable discussion may submit a brief explanation of a topic and a list of 10-15 sample discussion questions in lieu of a formal abstract.

Conference papers will be collected for publication at a later date. Presenters must be registered for the conference no later than February 1, 2007. For more information about programming, our review process, and submissions, please see the Phoenix Rising website. Questions specifically about programming may be directed to programming@thephoenixrises.org