The Potter Pundits

Hello, PotterCast fans! On behalf of the Potter Pundits, I’d like to thank you for your enthusiastic welcome when Melissa made the announcement that we were joining the show. We’re incredibly excited to be on PotterCast, joining what has already been some of the best discussion on Harry Potter here at The Leaky Cauldron!


We asked the question in our first segment, “What is a Potter Pundit?” The real answer to that question is, you are! Everyone who loves these books and thinks they’re more than just a passing, commercial fad; who takes them seriously as literature; who believes these are great stories with beautiful, masterful artistry; and who wants to dig deeper into Rowling’s multi-layered story - anyone like that is a Potter Pundit. We’re simply here to be the audible voice of a worldwide community of Potter Pundits.


So we’re going to need your help and feedback. Of course, over the past several years, John, James and I have been exploring the depths of the Potter series, and our work has been published. But we know you’ve been digging into this series, too, and we want to know what you want to talk about. So we need some feedback in the comments about three issues:


What topics do you want us to address?


John has written about literary alchemy and symbolism. James has written about foreshadowing and puns. I’ve written about fantasy and politics. We can talk at length about these and the other subjects we’ve written about, but we’re ready and willing to explore new topics as well.


So, what's of interest to you? The story’s symbolism? Its political satire? The life and death of Severus Snape? The serious-readers’ perspective on shipping? Character studies, themes, literary elements - these subjects and many more are wide open for discussion. Let us know what you want to hear most, and we’ll know how to prioritize!


What guests do you want on the program?


I’m guessing many of you have read books about Harry Potter, been to conferences where there has been academic programming, or - more likely - both! Whether at Potter conferences, in your local bookstore, or on university campuses, experts from various fields of study are fans of Harry Potter and have lots to say about it.


Do you have favorite authors and speakers who take a serious readers’ perspective on the series that you’d like us to interview for a Potter Pundits segment? Let us know in the comments.


What literary subjects and possible influences would you like us to explore?


Joanne Rowling is part of a long tradition of great authors. As James likes to say, “Great literature reminds you of great literature.” What does J.K. Rowling’s work remind you of? Edith Nesbit? C.S. Lewis? Jane Austen? Charles Dickens? Let us know what authors you’d like us to bring into conversation with Harry Potter.


This is an amazing opportunity for literary geeks to unite! We all know these Potter books are amazing. We’re still talking about them two years after the final book was released! And now we’re going to join together to explore exactly why they are as great as they are. We can’t wait to dive into these conversations with you all, so jump right in!