E7 Announces Call for Papers/People

[Vicki]

CALL FOR PEOPLE: Enlightening 2007
Philadelphia, PA
July 12-15, 2007
A Harry Potter Camp for Families presented by Bonding over Books


Enlightening 2007 (E7) is the world's first (unofficial) Harry Potter 
Camp for Families. Sponsored by Bonding over Books, E7 will include a 
mix of serious academic exploration of J.K Rowling's text, 
interactive events and competitions for families to engage in 
together, and workshops in which participants learn and practice how 
to contribute to the fandom.

The event is designed to enable fans of Harry Potter to deepen 
existing connections within families and form new connections with 
peers. J.K. Rowling's magical series provides a unique opportunity 
for shared experiences and discussions on several important topics 
relevant to all ages. The University of Pennsylvania's Graduate 
School of Education will co-sponsor and host E7 in a setting worthy 
of the special occasion -- Penn's gothic, ivy-league campus.

We invite proposals for interactive sessions that support and expand 
on the central theme of the event. In particular, E7 seeks fresh 
ideas, delivered in novel, experiential ways. As an interactive, 
participant-centered event on a smaller scale than other Harry Potter 
symposia, we look for proposals that include a plan to engage 
attendees, involving them in role plays, workshops, activities, or 
other experiential methods of your choosing.

Topics of interest include, but are certainly not limited to, the 
following:

- Different parenting styles of the various mother/father figures in 
Harry's world
- Friendship and love – stated and unstated, requited and unrequited 
in the Harry Potter world
- Role of social organizations, such as religion and government, in 
the texts
- Racism and discrimination in the Wizard world and how dictators 
(from Voldemort to Hitler) are able to use these environments to gain 
power and support
- Compare and contrast the way different age categories read and 
interpret the texts
- Harry Potter in the school curriculum
- Life lessons from the texts and how they might facilitate family 
discussions of some of the books' most difficult themes: choices, 
perseverance, loss, grief, and coming of age
- The secret worlds that children make for themselves, and the 
relationships that parental figures should or should not have with 
those secret worlds
- The influence of British and Celtic mythology on the texts, with 
particular attention to the community/cultural values reflected in 
the myths
- The world of Harry Potter and the connections it can help foster in 
the muggle world

Please submit your paper topic, along with a brief description of 
your research/theories on the selected topic and your planned method 
for engaging the audience in a 45-minute session, in a document that 
does not exceed 700 words by January 31. In addition to explaining 
your idea and approach, please provide any biographical information 
that demonstrates your interest and ability to lead the session you 
propose.

Submissions and questions about the submission process should be sent 
to submissions at ....  Decisions will be made by March 
1.  All presenters must register as participants of E7 by April 1, 
2007 at the teacher/staff rate ($65).