Sunday 22 July 2007

Pottermania T&T style


T&T, if you haven't guessed, is the affectionate name given to this twin-island republic by its citizens. The photo above was taken from the front page of the Trinidad Guardian of Friday 20th July, 2007.

According to the caption, this was the scene at a local bookstore as two 'witches' arranged the Potter display while two others stood guard.

I have never, ever seen anything like this here - not over a book, anyway. There was a promotion of sorts when Trinidadian Nobel Prize-winner VS Naipaul visited his much-maligned homeland a couple months ago, but this tops all. Trinidadians have a love-hate relationship with Sir Vidia; by the time he left these shores once again, he and his wife had succeeded in alienating a whole new generation of readers here, as well as further riling his old adversaries. The man seems to thrive on that sort of thing.

There's no ambivalence about young Harry and his creator, though. I can only imagine Ms Rowling's reception if she were to visit here. This Potter mega-phenomenon boggles the mind.

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