HoMER@Bahamas conference 2019

As a result of such generous donations from a number of individuals and organisations, I was able to attend the HoMER Network conference 2019 in The Bahamas and present my research.

My presentation explored the value in textually analysing a variety of paratexts for the Harry Potter film franchise, since they shed light on the ideas and themes that are emphasised to audiences before, during and long after the films have had their cinema run. My particular focus was to look for ideas and themes that may shape conceptions of British national identity.

I was very grateful for the questions that I received which I will consider as I continue to work on this project:

• While the casting process for Harry, Ron and Hermione in the films was a rather exclusive affair that called for children who looked like the existing illustrations of the [white] characters, the more recent casting of black actress, Noma Dumezweni, as adult Hermione in the stage play prompted Rowling to state that the books do not mention this character's ethnicity and that there is no reason why she should be white. What does this mean in terms of the films' approach to representing ideas on 'Britishness' and Rowling's input throughout the franchise's history?
• At what point do the paratexts (such as the theme park, the studio tour, Platform 9 3/4s) become the main text and the films the paratexts? Have people visited these sites without seeing the films?

The theme of the conference, Anchoring New Cinema History, invited presentations on a variety of different methodologies for research, such as: collecting audience memories, analysing the programming for a particular set of cinemas throughout a specific time period, utilising DVD rental data to determine audience preferences. Wider questions were also raised throughout, such as what is contemporary cinema history and how do we study it?

Conference participants

BAFTSS Conference 2019

In April I was very pleased to be able to speak about my research at the annual conference for the British Association for Film, Television and Screen Studies. The 3 day event took place at the University of Birmingham and I was able to attend presentations covering a wide range of research topics, from the troubling representation of male rape on screen to the intersectionality of race, gender and class in French banlieue films.

My presentation on Harry Potter film paratexts and representations of Britishness (click here for abstract) was followed by a really interesting discussion in which the following questions were raised:

How have paratexts such as Platform 9 3/4s evolved beyond the original film texts? What ideas about Britishness have they added/amended?
What more could I find out about Platform 9 3/4s' part in the redevelopment of Kings Cross Station?

I am very grateful for the encouraging feedback I received on my presentation and I am currently implementing the suggestions made.

Blog post on the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum website

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum in Exeter has been an invaluable resource for my research, holding ephemera for the James Bond and Harry Potter film series as well a huge range of materials related to the moving image in Britain. Last year I was very grateful to receive a visiting researcher stipend to fund my trips to the museum. A blog post on the outcome of these trips has now been published on the museum's website: http://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/news/harry-potter-and-the-representation-of-british-culture-a-paratextual-analysis/

#PGRTakeover

Yesterday it was my turn to run the Bristol Doctoral College's Instagram account as part of their #PGRtakeover series. This was an opportunity to answer that often asked question: what does a PhD student actually do? Of course it does depend on discipline, mode of attendance and proximity to campus. I used my #PGRtakeover to demonstrate some of the things I have learnt to incorporate into my day in order to maintain good mental health and wellbeing, since PhD life can come with many pressures and feelings of isolation.

HoMER Conference 2019

I am very pleased to announce that I have been accepted to speak at the HoMER conference in Nassau in June. I will be presenting more of my PhD project to a network of academics that I am very keen to work with due to our shared research interests. With regards to the costs for this trip, I am seeking sources of funding since I am already on a very tight daily budget as a self-financed PhD student (with a small contribution from the University). I have created a gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/presenting-at-homer-conference-201… I would be very grateful if you could help in any way - any form of donation or suggestions for funding sources would be so amazing. Many many thanks.