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NEW ORLEANS -- Aug. 9, 2006 -- Take a journey through the history of the Harry Potter fandom after taking a stroll through the Aquarium of the Americas. Or learn how the Potter novels are transformed into audiobooks, video games or film scores, from the experts on the front lines. Play in a professional triple-elimination Quidditch tournament on the banks of the Mississippi River. And then snuggle up in your squashy, purple sleeping bag to watch the Harry Potter movies with all your friends.

Phoenix Rising is thrilled to announce its Guests of Honor, who will present at the keynote presentations, as well as several events. The Guests of Honor include: Danny Bilson, Vice President of Intellectual Property Development at Electronic Arts, who worked with J. K. Rowling on developing the Harry Potter video games; Tim Ditlow, Vice President of Random House for Listening Library, who produced the Harry Potter audiobooks and works closely with Jim Dale; Jon Burligame, a renowned film scoring professor and journalist; Dr. Anne Hiebert Alton, an English professor with a focus in children's and Victorian literature; Henry Jenkins, premier fandom scholar; and fandom members Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron, Heidi Tandy of FictionAlley, and Ebony Thomas, formerly of Harry Potter for Grown-Ups and pumpkinpie.org.

The chance to hear these guests and more is available now as tickets to Phoenix Rising's keynote presentations and special events go on sale today. Phoenix Rising, a Harry Potter conference, will be held May 17-21, 2007, in New Orleans.

Keynote and event tickets can be purchased through the online registration system at www.thephoenixrises.org/registration/. Those who are already registered for the conference can buy tickets through the "Change My Registration" feature, and those who have not registered must do so before buying tickets. Attendees can buy extra tickets to two events for guests not registered for Phoenix Rising -- Storyville, a revival of New Orleans' historic jazz district, complete with Cajun food and the largest balcony on Bourbon Street; and Transformation: From Fan to Fandom, a panel discussion with fandom's founders following a walking dinner in the Aquarium of Americas.

The add-on options include:

SPECIAL EVENTS

STORYVILLE: $30 Friday night, Phoenix Rising's attendees will take to Bourbon Street, dining on classic Cajun food and dancing to the rhythm of New Orleans jazz. Phoenix Rising will -- at the Bourbon Vieux, Cajun Cabin and Five O'Clock Grille -- revive Storyville, New Orleans' legendary red light district, which incubated "jass" in its infancy. Dinner will be served, the blues will be lowdown and mean, and those with tickets will interact with the crush of New Orleans from the largest balcony on Bourbon Street.

Ticket-holders will be given wristbands, so they may leave, wander the French Quarter, and return. A traditional Cajun dinner is included with the ticket price, and each ticket holder will receive one drink coupon as well.

RIVERSIDE QUIDDITCH CLASSIC: $30 It has thrilled Quidditch fans for years, and has a history to challenge any other Quidditch tournament in the world -- and in 2007, the Bayou Quidditch League will hold the Riverside Quidditch Classic as part of Phoenix Rising. Tournament play will involve a triple-elimination series on the banks of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. Phoenix Rising will feature House Quidditch play as well, which is included with the price of registration; you may choose that option later during the registration process.

Tournament fee includes placement on a "professional" Quidditch team, a jersey with your name and number, participation in the triple-elimination Riverside Quidditch Classic, and snacks, sports drinks and water.

SQUASHY PURPLE SLEEPING BAG MOVIE NIGHT: $25 for sleeping bag Each night of Phoenix Rising, Headmistress Vicky Dann will present on one of the Harry Potter films, and then screen the film for attendees. Both the presentations and the films are included in the basic registration for Phoenix Rising. You do not need to purchase an additional ticket in order to attend.

In grand Harry Potter tradition, however, you may wish to purchase a purple, squashy sleeping bag for use during the Movie Nights.

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS

TRANSFORMATION: FROM TEXT TO TECHNOLOGY: $40 Danny Bilson will present on the development and production of the Harry Potter video games by Electronic Arts, including his work with J. K. Rowling on their creation. He is Vice President of Intellectual Property Development for Electronic Arts; a Hollywood writer, director, and producer; and an instructor for the Interactive Media program in the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television.

TRANSFORMATION: FROM INFLUENCE TO INSPIRATION: $20 Dr. Anne Hiebert Alton, professor of English at Central Michigan University and expert in children's, fantasy, and Victorian literature, will present on the various genres that have influenced the Harry Potter series, from folk tales to pulp fiction. Before the lecture, attendees have private access to New Orleans' Musée Conti Wax Museum, which features historical exhibits and a "haunted dungeon." Cash bars will be available.

TRANSFORMATION: FROM BOOK TO AUDIOBOOK: $40 Tim Ditlow, vice-president and publisher of Listening Library for Random House, and the producer of many children's and young adult audiobooks -- including the best-selling, award-winning Harry Potter series -- will present on the connection between listening and literacy, the founding of Listening Library, and how our understanding of J. K. Rowling's text is transformed and enhanced through Jim Dale's performance.

TRANSFORMATION: FROM FAN TO FANDOM: $55 World-renowned fandom and media studies academic Henry Jenkins will partner with founders of the Harry Potter fandom on this panel, including Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron, Heidi Tandy of FictionAlley, and Ebony Thomas, formerly of pumpkinpie.org and Harry Potter for Grown-ups. The panel will discuss, from both academic and practical viewpoints, how an individual fan experience is turned into a collective fandom experience through the growth of online fan communities. This presentation includes admission to the Aquarium of the Americas, and a unique "walking dinner" will be served as attendees tour the Aquarium's exhibits.

TRANFORMATION: FROM SCREENPLAY TO FILM SCORE: $40 As part of a traditional New Orleans jazz brunch, attendees can hear from Jon Burlingame, film scoring professor at the University of Southern California; writer for Variety, the Los Angeles Times, and Premiere, among other publications; and curator of the world's first museum exhibit on film scoring. Mr. Burlingame will speak about John Williams' film scores and how they impact the entirety of the films.

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More information:
• Phoenix Rises Keynote Presentations
• Phoenix Rises Storyville

Published August 9, 2006

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