Release of the Convention Alley Call for Papers

[hpfgu_elf]

No: HPFGUIDX 83122

The Convention Alley Planning Committee is pleased to announce the
release of the Call for Papers (CFP) for our HPfGU-sponsored
international Harry Potter conference to be held July 30-August 1,
2004 at the University of Ottawa. The text of the CFP follows this
introduction, and may also be found as both a text file and in Word
in the files section of the HPfGU-Convention list.

While we welcome submissions by members of the professional and
academic communities, we strongly encourage members of the fandom
community to participate. That means we are looking for submissions
from *you*, the die-hard fan who can recite the Harry Potter books
verbatim, who knows the content of every JKR interview ever given!
The topic areas noted in the CFP are merely suggestions – we are open
to proposals on any and all facets of the Harry Potter fandom.

Proposals may take the form of a 500 word abstract or a completed
conference paper (approximately 5-7 pages). Please note that
proposals submitted via regular mail must be postmarked no later than
January 3, 2004, and proposals submitted electronically must be
received by January 17, 2004.

Please read the CFP carefully to note all of the particulars. We are
looking forward to receiving your submissions!

~Phyllis Morris
on behalf of the Convention Alley Planning Committee



CALL FOR PAPERS

Convention Alley
An International Harry Potter Convention
University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
July 30-August 1, 2004

This international conference envisions bringing the Harry Potter
fandom together in the beautiful city of Ottawa to discuss J.K.
Rowling's novels with one another and with literary scholars. In
addition to a keynote speaker and programming sessions presented by
fans and professionals, the convention will feature directed
discussion groups as well as informal opportunities for fans and
scholars to get to know one another and to enjoy the city of Ottawa.
A highlight of the convention will be a party for all participants to
celebrate Harry's birthday on July 31st.

The Canadian Programming Committee seeks proposals for presentations,
moderated panels and workshops on any topic relating to the Harry
Potter novels and/or their fan community. We strongly encourage
members of the fandom community to participate, and also welcome
submissions by members of the professional and academic communities.
While potential topics and suggested submissions are noted below to
get your creative juices flowing, we are interested in any and all
ideas – please do not feel limited by the potential topic areas or by
the examples of potential submissions!

Presenters should be at least 18 years old, as the conference
programming is intended for adults. However, participants are
encouraged to bring their families and many of the informal events
will be open to family members.

Programming Sessions

Potential programming session topics include, but are not limited to,
the following areas:

· Characters in the Harry Potter series. Thanks to the myriad
of characters dreamed up by Rowling, there are innumerable
opportunities for presentations in this area. A submission might
include two panelists presenting evidence in Rowling's canon that
Professor Severus Snape will turn out to be evil in the end, and two
other panelists presenting canon evidence that Snape will turn out to
be good. Another submission might propose a presentation comparing
Draco Malfoy as he is portrayed in Rowling's canon vs. Malfoy as he
is known in fanfiction.

· Mythology in the Harry Potter series. Rowling draws heavily
from mythology in the series, from the three-headed dog Fluffy (based
on Cerberus who guarded the Underworld in Greek mythology) to names
such as "Argus" and "Narcissa." A submission might highlight the
characters that are based on mythology, explain their mythological
basis and provide a rationale for why Rowling chose to link those
characters with these specific myths.

· Education in the Harry Potter universe. We invite teachers
(and administrators) in the fandom to compare their jobs to the ones
held by their analogs in the Harry Potter novels. Possible topics
include detailed analyses of Rowling's views on the state's role in
education, and how the teachers in Rowling's universe would fare in
the "real world".

· Symbolism in the Harry Potter series. Proposals might
explore how Rowling uses symbols and metaphors to express her views
and the goals of the series. For example, submissions might analyze
metaphors of death ("beyond the veil") or symbols of Christ (the
stag, the phoenix, Harry's repeated resurrections).

· Fandom Influences in the Harry Potter series. A proposal in
this area might review Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to identify instances where
Rowling may have responded to popular questions from the fandom
(e.g., how to pronounce "Hermione").

· Understanding and Exploring British Terms in the Harry Potter
novels. For non-British readers, some of Rowling's British
expressions and terms are, well – foreign! A submission in this area
might propose a roundtable discussion run by British fans that would
entertain audience questions on dialects and British terms in the
novels.

The Canadian Programming Committee cannot stress enough that these
topic areas are merely suggestions. They should not, therefore, be
interpreted in any way as limitations on the subject matter of
potential proposals. Proposals on any and all facets of the Harry
Potter fandom are welcome and encouraged. The Committee only
requests that your proposal be respectful of the interests and views
of others in the fandom.

Time Blocks

Proposals should specify the estimated amount of time needed for
presentation and discussion.

Programming sessions will be held on Saturday, July 31 and Sunday,
August 1. Our goal is to make all of the programming sessions as
interactive as possible. Accordingly, for individual presentations,
we suggest a planned presentation of between 30-45 minutes, followed
by a 30-minute audience participation session. This is a guideline,
however – presenters are welcome to propose other ideas for
encouraging audience participation. Strictly lecture-based
presentations are discouraged, however. Accordingly, proposals must
include an outline for how audience participation will be solicited.

The suggested time period for moderated panels and workshops is
between one hour and 30 minutes and two hours. As with the
individual presentations, proposals for moderated panels should
include a 30-minute audience participation session.
A volunteer staff member will be present at each session to introduce
the presenter, assist with any technical difficulties and facilitate
the audience participation component.

Proposal Submissions

Proposals submitted via regular mail must be postmarked no later
than: January 3, 2004.
Proposals submitted electronically must be received by: January 17,
2004.
Proposals may take the form of a 500 word abstract or a completed
conference paper (approximately 5-7 pages). Any attachments must be
in Microsoft Word to be readable.
Proposals should be sent via e-mail (preferred) or regular mail in
advance of the submission deadline to the following:
E-Mail submission: convention_alley @yahoo.ca. Please use "Ottawa
2004 Programming Submission" in the subject line.

Regular mail: Convention Alley
Box 36058
1318 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 3A0
Canada

Proposal Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated based on an assessment of the level of
interest conference participants will have in the topic area and the
originality of the ideas presented, as well as the use of correct
spelling and grammar.

Notification and Submission of Final Papers

We plan to notify presenters whose proposals are selected for
presentation at the convention during the week of February 16, 2004.
We regret that, in order to keep conference fees as low as possible,
we are unable to fund presenters' registration, hotel and/or travel
costs, or provide any other form of remuneration. Presenters will
need to register for the conference at their own expense when they
confirm that they will present (confirmations must be postmarked or e-
mailed by March 3, 2004).

Presenters must submit their final completed paper in an electronic
format (either as a text file or in Word) to the above e-mail address
by May 15, 2004 (preferred) or by regular mail to the above address
by May 1, 2004. Completed papers sent by regular mail must be
submitted on a disk. All submissions will be edited for consistency
of style, acronym use, and correct punctuation and grammar.
Guidelines to ensure uniform style in the published proceedings will
be provided to each successful presenter when selection notifications
are issued. No changes will be made to submitted text without the
prior approval of the author.

Directed Discussion Groups

The only way to improve upon an on-line chat is to have an in-person
chat! Directed discussion groups will be scheduled throughout the
weekend to accomplish this. These sessions will not have formal
presentations, but will be guided by a moderator to get topics
started and to move the discussion along. Since it is an unfortunate
inevitability that we will receive more submissions for presentations
than we can accept, we will invite those individuals who submitted
topics that are not chosen to serve as moderators for these panels.

Disclaimers

This convention is an unofficial event, and is not endorsed by HP
Education Fanon, Inc., Warner Bros., the Harry Potter book publishers
or J.K. Rowling and her representatives.