Hmmm, we may have to make some travel plans....

[johno]

Recieved today in email:


Dear Accio 2005 attendee,
We are pleased to announce that the next Accio event will be held from 25 to 27 July 2008. Accio 2008 will bring together academics and adult fans to discuss the Harry Potter series in the Hogwarts-like setting of the University of Oxford. The conference will be held at the beautiful Magdalen College, which boasts such alumni as C.S. Lewis and Oscar Wilde.

Accio 2008 seeks to enhance the appreciation of J.K. Rowling’s novels as works of literature in her home country. Paper presentations, roundtables, moderated panels, debates and workshops will evoke a lively, interesting and thoughtful discussion on the changes the Harry Potter novels have already made to our world, and on the potential for the novels to have a lasting influence.

The conference will feature guest speakers, formal programming sessions and informal opportunities for delegates to get to know one another and the city of Oxford. A banquet will be held in Magdalen College’s magnificent Dining Hall on the evening of Saturday 26 July.

The Programming Committee is currently accepting presentation proposals. Accio 2008's Call for Papers may be viewed here: http://www.accio.org.uk/callforpapers.shtml .

We will send out another announcement in the near future to let you know when the registration system opens. For more information, please visit http://www.accio.org.uk/ .

You have been summoned!
The Accio 2008 conference is an unofficial event and is not endorsed, sanctioned or in any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Harry Potter book publishers, or J.K. Rowling and her representatives.

Comments

[fairegoddess.livejournal.com]

Oh man, if I had a way to get to England.. *pines*

[jemstone.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that this will get me all manner of dirty looks, but could it perhaps be a goal of Accio to also get Rowling to use an editor and drop the length of her novels a bit?

People say I sound bitter and angry, when really I just appreciate books that I don't have to slog through. :(

[johno.livejournal.com]

Jo does not attend conventions.

However, it has long been discussed that the books are way too long and needs an agressive editor.

[jemstone.livejournal.com]

Well, as long as I'm not the only one seeing it. ;)

Honestly, part of the reason I haven't read anything past Sorcerer's Stone is because of the length. Another reason is, really, I just can't get into her writing style. This is the reason I love the films - they're not overly wordy, they don't feel as though they're playing down to the viewer, and they give just enough exposition to make it interesting... things I think the books could learn a lot from.

If you do get to go, it goes without saying that we're all expecting fabulous photos. ;)

[telynor.livejournal.com]

You'd like Oxford. It's a really pretty town, and not as expensive as London. The photograph that's my default user icon was taken at the Rollright Stones, which are just a few miles away from Oxford by car.

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Is it permissible to write a paper and submit it, but not present it in person? Travel to Oxford is not economically feasible for me right now.

[johno.livejournal.com]

Write them and ask. I'm just hoping ot attend.

There are several US and Canada HP conventions this year.

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

If'n I'm going to visit Magdalen College, trust me, Harry Flippin' Potter is the last thing I'm going to care about. I'll be taking the C.S. Lewis tours, thank you very much. :)

[jemstone.livejournal.com]

Totally unrelated to the topic of this post - but your user icon takes me back. Mmmm. Ultraman.