Announcement: Colin Manlove to Speak at Sectus 2007

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Sectus are thrilled to announce that Colin Manlove, renowned 
academic and children's literature expert, has signed on as one of 
our featured speakers! 

"English children's fantasy has its sources in the particularly 
early and rapid English industrial revolution, and in the Romantic 
glorification of the imagination and the child. The ideas of the 
lost pastoral and of lost childhood fuse into one chord of longing 
for lost innocence, which expresses itself through worlds that 
rewrite actuality."

"Were we to read symbolically, (Hogwarts) might become a single 
fallen soul...assaulted by the devil but upheld by choice and 
grace." "(Voldemort) is in a sense that side of Harry himself that 
is least sure of his identity and his hold on life in a world 
without family or...security." "But he is also the alien, the 
monster Grendel outside the feast hall...the culmination of the 
portrayals of malice and threat to identity in earlier 1990's 
fantasy..."

-- from 'From Alice to Harry Potter: Children's Fantasy in England' 
by Colin Manlove.

Colin Manlove is the author of twelve books of literary criticism. 
While focusing primarily on the fantasy genre, he has also written 
books on Shakespeare, seventeenth and eighteenth century literature, 
and a wide range of essays and articles. Before his retirement in 
1993, he was a Reader in English literature at the University of 
Edinburgh. 

He has graciously agreed to come and talk to our attendees about 
Harry Potter as a part of the greater scheme of children's fantasy 
literature, particularly as it compares to C.S. Lewis's Narnia 
series. He'll also discuss topics such as certain vs. uncertain 
identity, and his own ideas about how the series will be wrapped up 
in the final book.

'From Alice to Harry Potter' was selected by the editors of CHOICE 
as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2003.

"...probably the best – and certainly the most up-to-date – survey 
of English children's fantasy literature available." – David L. 
Russell, The Lion and the Unicorn

You can buy Colin Manlove's books and support Sectus at the same 
time! Just look out for the Amazon link on our website. 

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. Sectus runs from 19th to 22nd 
July and will encompass a variety of events from academic papers, 
discussions and debates to themed sports and games. It is run on a 
not-for-profit basis, and any surplus from the event will go 
directly to Book Aid International. (http://www.bookaid.org)

For more information about Sectus, check out our website at 
http://www.Sectus.org.

Any queries regarding this Press Release should be addressed to:
Ticca, Publicity Officer
e-mail communications at ...