BU Research Blog

Marianne Martens, recently appointed as a Visiting Fellow in the School of Journalism, English and Communication will be giving a talk based on her current research on Wednesday 27 September at 1p.m in F305. All welcome and you are welcome to bring your lunches! Details below.

For the Love of Harry Potter: Fans’ Activism in Fan Fiction, Festivals, and Charitable Works

First published in 1997, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter changed the landscape for children’s publishing, in terms of sales figures, bestseller status, and book length.  The Harry Potter books are cross-over titles, which means that even though they are published as children’s books, their appeal extends to adult readers as well. One of the reasons for this, is the rich world-building that exists within the books. This world-building also lends itself exceptionally well to various fan-based activities, from fan fiction, to festivals, to charitable works.  Protective of the books and their characters, J.K. Rowling (and related corporate entities) are not always supportive of such fan activities. Marianne Martens will present her in-progress monograph, which examines how and why fans contribute their labor in support of Harry Potter, and the ensuing tensions between fans and the corporations who own him.

Marianne Martens, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor at Kent State University’s School of Information. Her research covers the interconnected fields of youth services librarianship and publishing, and the impact of interactive reading technologies. Previously, she was vice president of North-South Books in New York. Martens is the author ofPublishers, Readers, and Digital Engagement (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). You can read more about her work at mariannemartens.org.