"Magic is Might" a book collecting essays on the cultural influence of the Harry Potter books and films series is now available for free download.

The book is edited by Dr. Luigina Ciolfi (CCRC) in collaboration with Gráinne O'Brien (University of Limerick, Ireland). The collection is the result of a conference held at Limerick in 2012 that brought together a group of international academics discussing the impact of the Harry Potter books and films on various aspects of scholarship and society, across disciplinary boundaries. The selection of papers included in the book cover a wide multi-disciplinary span: from literary analysis, gender studies, media and technology, e- commerce, law and many more.

In recent years, increased attention to popular culture phenomena and to their impact on audiences has led to a corresponding interest in analyzing and understanding related issues. Much research has been conducted on the impact of popular films, TV programs and music on cultural production, audience participation and textual and narrative analysis. Harry Potter is no exception: with 450 million copies sold by 2011 and extensive related media in the forms of major motion pictures, video games and online reading resources such as “Pottermore”, the story of the Boy Wizard has undoubtedly made a resounding impact on popular culture, and has generated a community of dedicated fans and followers that has been studied as a phenomenon in its own right.

The essays included in "Magic Is Might" are an excellent representation of such influence and constitute a useful resource for anyone with an interest in popular culture and media studies.

The book can be freely downloaded from here.