I know it’s hard to believe there could be much more interesting going on next week than a certain movie premiere, but, for quite a few of us, that event will take place in an amazing setting: at Leaky-Con at Universal Studios in  Orlando. But this fantastic conference is about much, much more than movies, of course! Our own John Granger will be presenting (see a sneak preview here), as will I. Here is a little blub about the program I’ll be doing at 9 am on Saturday, July 16 (along with my husband,  Michael). If you are coming, I hope to see you there! We will, of course, be reporting from the scene!

 “See My Published Works”: Publishing, Librarianship, and the Book Industry in the Wizarding World
It should not be surprising that books which have engaged millions of readers actually include books as major plot devices, libraries and bookstores as critical settings, and writers and readers as characters both minor and major. In addition, Rowling often has a fair bit of fun in her depiction of authors, publishers, and the members of the literary industry, both lampooning the world her novels took by storm, and creating a parallel version of the literary world of Muggles. Join authors Elizabeth  Baird Hardy and Michael C. Hardy, who have worked both sides of the book production universe, to explore the texts within our shared text and the ways in which Rowling subtly, and sometimes not-so subtly, critiques the history and realities of her own profession and the industries that support it.