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In:Children’s Literature Across Media: Concepts and perspectives of transmedia narratives
Edited by Nina Christensen, Ute Dettmar and Sarah Mygind
[Children’s Literature, Culture, and Cognition 21] 2026
► pp. 109–128

Chapter 6
Considering the links between transmedia engagement and minoritized identities through intersectional Harry Potter fanworks

This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
Harry Potter fans are known for their subversive transformations of the novels, including queering (or ‘slashing’) characters (Tosenberger, 2008), ‘transing’ characters (Cromwell 2023; Duggan 2022), and ‘racebending’ characters to depict them as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) (e.g., Fowler 2019; Patterson 2022; Seymour 2018; Thomas 2019; Thomas & Dahlen 2022). This chapter analyzes fans’ intersectional transformations of Harry Potter characters as queer, trans, and/or BIPOC in Harry Potter fan fiction and fan art. It considers the politics of depicting characters in ways that ‘speak back’ to the author, the publishing industry, and a cultural context that devalues BIPOC, queer, and trans identities.
Article outline
  • Diversity and ChiLit publishing: Histories and trends
  • Diversity and the Harry Potter fandom
  • Intersectionality in Harry Potter fanworks
  • Conclusion
  • Author queries
  • Notes
  • References
References (83)
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