Can we please stop with all this Harry Potter stuff ...

[Theknacktoflying]

Promotion e-mail from Waterstones that they are having a HP book night ...

I know that it has done wonders getting kids reading, I know that it is a huge phenomenon but please can we get past this idea that there are no other childrens’ authors than Rowling, Dahl, Walliams and Kinney ..

And a bookshop should be promoting other overhyped books ..

@WofflingOn all those things can help a little, but it is extremely difficult to raise your profile as an author without some real welly behind you. Bear in mind most authors have day jobs as well, so with that and ensuring you have time to write, well it ain't easy to do promotion.

YABU. Book shops are businesses. If promoting Harry Potter stuff makes them money, that's what they'll do. It doesn't stop them from promoting other books too. And reading Harry Potter doesn't stop kids reading other books. In fact, quite the opposite, if HP inspires a love of reading. As far as advertisable products go, children's books are a bit of an odd target for your irritation.

I adore Harry Potter, the characters and storytelling are fabulous.

Whilst I agree the world of Harry Potter is wonderfully imaginative, I genuinely don't un7why people think the characters are 'fabulous'. HP has some of the most two-dimensional, under developed and sometimes just out-and-out terrible characters in literature. I cared little for many of their fates by Deathly Hallows.

You have to remember that a new generation are discovering it. DS 6 got the first one for Christmas. We’re reading it to him and he’s absolutely loving it!
With the studios tour, Universal in Florida, new Fantastic Beasts films, new Lego etc it’s still very much the in thing for kids.

I enjoyed the HP series, but in hindsight it’s not a very well written series, it’s one of those things were the hardcore fans hype it up beyond how good it actually is.

^I agree

Me.too..i couldn't give a shit, I'm not 12.

I love HP, DD hates it. Life sucks.

No.

Many bookshops are struggling since the end of the net book agreement, or because of the costs such as business rates and rents of running one. Running a promotion to sell more books is perfectly reasonable, OP. I have never read any of the Harry Potter books but if others have or want to, that is fine by me.

One of my favourite childhood memories is of my primary school teacher. He was a lovely gentleman, always wore an arran cardigan with a shirt and tie. At the end of every single school day, he would read to us all as a class for 15/20 minutes and through him, I developed a lifelong love of reading.

Anything that attracts kids to books is a good thing.

Yabu. So very reasonable. If it gets people reading, it’s huge. Just huge.

Shame on some of you using the Unforgivable curse!
Maybe Expecto Patronum would suffice against this joy sucker? It worked on others

Well, now I feel.stupid. I'm organising a HP night at my library. It's a chance for fans to get together, have some fun and play some games. They might make a new friend. They'll go off with a few crafts that they've made, they can taste some butterbeer and a chocolate frog (that I'm personally supplying thanks to Tesco dropping the price of Freddos to 10p) and it's a free night out.

The publishers provide a booklet of craft ideas and quizzes free of charge, along with stickers to give out for attending.

Heaven forfend that young people have a free night of fun based around reading...

High streets shops are dying, it's not fashionable to read anymore, there are countless houses without a book in them, so if HP encourage readers and people to buy books, how could that possibly be wrong!

Harry Potter and the Incredible Cash Cow

A tale of mythical proportion where an innovative storyline becomes stretched to the very limits.
Follow Harry's amazing transformation from young wizard to cash cow.

Discover Harry's final flirtation with the wallets of wonder. Can Harry extract the final remnants of gold from the pockets of muggle parents?

J K Rowling really doesn't need the publicity!

Of course she doesn’t. But that’s not why bookshops run these promotions. They run them in order to increase their revenue, which they need to do because Amazon have market dominance and lower operating costs.

It’s not like Waterstone’s staff are sitting there thinking ‘I’ll bet Jo Rowling’s down to her last £5billion. What can we do to make her a bit more dosh?’

Everyone knows high street stores are struggling, so obviously they’re going to prioritise events that are guaranteed to bring money in.

If they stop coining it in from HP, then there’s even less in the pot for marketing less well-known authors, isn’t there?

Good for the cash cow then. No other clever enough.

I don't understand the need to disparage literature because it's popular. I love a bit of HP.

OP, maybe organise an event for a book you consider more worthy, an established classic perhaps and see how many kids turn up

Huh?

It is not banning HP - it does have its place - but there never seems to be anything other than it.

Just looking at another feed Southbank Centre have an event with Jacqueline Wilson, Chris Riddell and Malorie Blackman.

What about promoting local talent?

YABU. The fandom is never going away. The people who are attending these kind of events are very likely adults (like me) who grew up with Harry, introducing their own children to the world.

For many of us fans, the series has a much deeper meaning than just a set of books.

If you don't like it, don't go

Its the people who try and make political points through HP, its cringy and you make yourself look even more stupid and far from profound.

There’s kids who are discovering it for the first time. I’ve been reading the first book to DS1 at bedtime each night - he’s 7 - and he loves it.

Of course it's a money spinner for bookshops and you can hardly blame them, but above all they aren't out to promote reading either (per se) they are a business out to promote profit.

HP's inspired millions of kids and that's a wonderful thing, but ideally it should open up a world of books to children (and beyond). To explore other worlds, other themes, other authors.

I can't knock a bookstore for using HP, but they could also consider ways to widen children's interests... maybe a themed evening that includes HP, but opens their eyes to other titles too. 'If you liked HP, then wait until you read this...' with good deals that possibly put Pullman, or Tolkein into their hands too.

I little imagination of their own wouldn't go amiss!

It’s not done to death because it’s new generations discovering HP. My dd went as Harry Potter for Halloween because she asked to as she loves it. I’m in my twenties and still enjoy the books, as do plenty of adults. It’s the people that bleat on about them “being just for children” that need just let people enjoy what they want to.

YABU