Update on Convention Alley and Upcoming Deadlines

[Phyllis]

No: HPFGUIDX 100533

Convention Alley is the very first conference devoted to grown-up
Harry Potter fans to be held in Canada. This HPfGU-sponsored event 
will be held at the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario, from 
July 30 to August 1, 2004.

In addition to guest speakers and programming sessions presented by
fans from both the academic and non-academic worlds, the conference
will feature directed discussion groups as well as informal
opportunities for participants to get to know one another and to
enjoy the city of Ottawa. The conference includes a banquet for all
participants to celebrate Harry's birthday on July 31st followed by a
viewing of the new Prisoner of Azkaban movie.

Steve Vander Ark will present the keynote address "The Hidden
Message: It's All About Lee Jordan" at Saturday's birthday banquet.
His address will discuss some of the problems of overanalyzing the
Harry Potter books, and he will offer suggestions on how to
distinguish red herrings from true clues. Steve is the creator and
editor of the Harry Potter Lexicon website, a comprehensive reference
tool on the Potterverse extensively used by both fans and scholars.

Dr. Judith Robertson will present "What Happens to Our Wishes:
Magical Thinking in Harry Potter" at the Sunday luncheon. Her
presentation will focus on the elements in the Harry Potter series
that make these books so vividly compelling to young readers. Dr.
Robertson is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, and
has written over twenty articles and chapters that have appeared in
peer-refereed sites in children's literature, English education,
curriculum theory and teacher education.

The conference will also feature a silent auction to benefit
ALSOcares, a small non-profit community family literacy program in
the Canadian communities of Lowertown/Sandyhill/Vanier. ALSOcares
provides a Reading and Parents Program for families with children
under 6 years of age that is designed to improve literacy for both
the children and their parents. Items to be auctioned include a
quilted wall hanging by Nancy Carstensen and some of the many
gorgeous conference decorations. We are still seeking additional
donations for the auction to benefit this worthy cause. If you are
interested in contributing, please contact the Convention Alley
Planning Committee at: hpottawa @ yahoo.no (without the spaces).

There are also some upcoming deadlines we would like to remind you
about:

(1) The form to reserve a room at the University of Ottawa residence
must be received by the residence by June 30, 2004.
(2) The vendor agreement is also due by June 30, 2004. For more
information on becoming a Convention Alley vendor, please visit:
http://www.conventionalley.org/vendors.html .
(3) The deadline for sponsors to have their advertisement included in
the conference programme is June 30, 2004. For information on
available sponsorships, please visit:
http://www.conventionalley.org/sponsors.html .

For more information or to register for the conference, please visit:
http://www.conventionalley.org/.

DISCLAIMERS: This convention is an unofficial event and is not
endorsed or sanctioned by Warner Bros., the Harry Potter book
publishers or J.K. Rowling and her representatives.

This convention also has no affiliation with HP Education Fanon, Inc.