Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter (Review)

Abstract

It has been 12 years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last in the initial series of Harry Potter books was published, and yet the franchise remains very popular, with various films, plays, computer games, theme park rides and websites still being created, and enjoyed, by people all over the globe. All of this has helped feed a large and diverse fanbase whose engagement with the series remains just as strong as it was when the initial book series was first published. It is this fan community that is the focus of Frankel’s edited collection, which covers a wide variety of subjects from the more official expanded sources, such as Erin Pyne’s consideration of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios to the more unofficial fan-created stories, films and online activities, that have allowed the fan community to maintain its loyal base over the years. Similarly, this edited collection also includes interviews with various practitioners in the Harry Potter fan community, with their insights providing useful contextual information which could be useful for future scholars working in this field. Therefore, this edited collection makes a valuable contribution within the growing field of fan studies but it can also be enjoyed by those same fan communities who feature in the text.