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SUMMARY:What can fantasy literature teach us? Relationships of power in ma
 gical realms - Malin Alkestrand\, Lund University
DTSTART:20151028T170000Z
DTEND:20151028T183000Z
UID:TALK60669@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Lucian Stephenson
DESCRIPTION:Since the release of the first Harry Potter book 18 years ago\
 , the interest in fantasy literature has expanded immensely. Millions of c
 hildren\, adolescents\, and adults have followed the adventures of their f
 avourite fantasy heroes and heroines as they venture into magical realms\,
  where the laws of reality are challenged\, transgressed\, and subverted. 
 But what can readers learn about their own world through the characters’
  exploration of magical worlds? And how can fantasy literature be utilised
  in the classroom\, when discussing relationships of power in the real wor
 ld? These are the general questions of Malin Alkestrand’s dissertation p
 roject. It focuses on what three fantasy series for children and adolescen
 ts – the Harry Potter series\, the Artemis Fowl series and the Swedish f
 antasy series the Engelsfors trilogy – can teach the reader about democr
 acy\, human rights\, and confrontations between different cultures. In Swe
 den all teachers are obliged to discuss this type of questions with their 
 pupils. Alkestrand’s thesis statement is that fantasy literature is a pe
 rfect starting point for this type of discussions\, since the magical worl
 ds function as allegories for reality\, while at the same time creating an
  alienating effect that helps the reader to view questions of power from a
  distance.\n\n*\nBio\n\nMalin Alkestrand* is a PhD student in Comparative 
 Literature at Lund University\, Sweden. She qualified as a teacher before 
 she started at the PhD Programme. Her main research areas are fantasy lite
 rature\, YA-literature and the teaching of literature in secondary and upp
 er secondary schools. In 2014 she published the article “Righteous Rebel
 lion in Fantasy and Science fiction for the Young – The Example of Harry
  Potter” in Hype – Bestsellers and Literary Culture. Alkestrand presen
 ted a paper on queer love in The Engelsfors trilogy at the fantasy and sci
 ence fiction convention Loncon 3 in London\, in 2014. Her doctoral thesis 
 will be published in 2016.\n
LOCATION: MAB 106\, Mary Allan Building\, Homerton College\, Hills Road\, 
 Cambridge CB2 8PQ
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