The Scholarly Side of Harry Potter

The Takeaway

Tonight at midnight, Harry Potter fans across America will be saying goodbye to their favorite bespeckled wizard, as “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,”  the final Harry Potter film, opens in theatres.  What will the end of Harry Potter mean to the franchise’s loyal fans? Why has Harry Potter been so monumentally popular? And – from an academic point of view – why has Harry Potter been culturally important? Martin Richardson  organized and designed the U.K.’s first university-level  Harry Potter  courses at Durham University.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” trailer:

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.