Join us for a special episode recorded live from LeakyCon Chicago!

Katy, Emily, and producer Laurie give LeakyCon attendees an overview of the current state of Potter studies, including areas of interest, such as social justice, responses to the author and how authorship does or does not affect our reading, and where we see the field going.

We also provide a preview of our upcoming companion book, available later this year from McFarland, and consider the symbiotic relationship between scholarship and fandom. We're particularly interested in how scholarship has benefited from fan expertise and how we can use scholarship to open up the text to analysis rather than close it off with a consensus, especially in an age of internet hot-take culture. Potter's portrayals of elves and goblins may be uncomfortable, but there are many possible interpretations, some of which have received quite thorough academic attention. J.R.R. Tolkien's thoughts on allegory versus applicability are helpful in thinking about intentional and interpreted symbolism.

Members of the audience, including Marjolaine Martin from French academic Potter podcast ASPIC and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Champions Hufflepuff David Martin, weigh in with their own thoughts.