Call For Papers Announced For Lumos 2006: A Harry Potter Symposium

Lumos 2006: A Harry Potter Symposium is pleased to announce the release of its Call for Proposals. The symposium, to be held July 27-30, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV, will offer two full days of academic programming for adult fans and scholars of the Harry Potter novels.

(PRWEB) July 4, 2005 -- Lumos 2006: A Harry Potter Symposium is pleased to announce the release of its Call for Proposals. The symposium, to be held July 27-30, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV, will offer two full days of academic programming for adult fans and scholars of the Harry Potter novels.

Bekki Olivieri, Co-Head of Programming for Lumos, hopes presentations will help illuminate the immense popularity of J.K. Rowling's novels. "The Harry Potter books have had a profound effect on readers of all ages. Parents, children, teachers, and students all rave about him. What is it about Harry that brings such a diverse group of people together? Lumos hopes to unveil this mystery, and more."

The Lumos programming committee seeks proposals for presentation papers, moderated panels, workshops, and posters on any topic relating to the Harry Potter novels and/or the fan community. Prospective presenters have until January 31, 2006 to submit their proposals, which will be sorted into six major categories:

• Literary and Media Studies
• Legal, Politics, and Ethics
• Social Sciences
• Education/Library Studies
• Fandom Culture
• Fan Creations -- Fanfiction and Fanart

Lumos' scope, however, extends beyond formal papers, encompassing a variety of presentation models such as critical panels, workshops and poster sessions, with an emphasis on audience participation and interaction.

Given the wealth of options open to potential presenters, Olivieri expects a rich and diverse range of submissions. "I am looking forward to seeing a wide variety of themes offered in the submissions, everything from character analyses to a critique of Hogwarts' educational system to an in-depth analysis of online fandom culture and the popularity of fanfiction."

Lumos 2006 is the third in a highly successful series of academically-themed conferences from HP Education Fanon, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to producing events that combine a professional and academic focus with the light-hearted spirit of the Harry Potter series to please scholar and fan alike. Their first such effort was Nimbus -- 2003, which took place July 2003 in Orlando, Florida and boasted approximately six-hundred attendees.

Further information about the Call for Proposals can be found on the official Lumos 2006 website at http://lumos2006.org/proposals.shtml. Please direct all programming inquiries to Bekki Olivieri or Carrie Clarady via email at programming@lumos2006.org.

Lumos 2006 is an unofficial event, and is not endorsed by Warner Bros., the Harry Potter book publishers or J.K. Rowling and her representatives.

Contact:   
Bekki Olivieri, Co-Head of Programming
Lumos 2006: A Harry Potter Symposium
programming@lumos2006.org

Carrie Clarady, Co-Head of Programming
Lumos 2006: A Harry Potter Symposium
programming@lumos2006.org

Jessica Daggett, Public Relations Coordinator
Lumos 2006: A Harry Potter Symposium
pr@lumos2006.org

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