Harry Potter
By
Naguib Mahfouz
I have been intrigued by the Harry Potter series, children's books that sell millions and millions within hours of their appearance. At a time when everyone is complaining about the book being under threat from modern communication technology Harry Potter has demonstrated that books can still hold their own.
The author no doubt put her finger on what captures the imagination of children when she wrote the first book several years ago -- so much so that her young protagonist has become an important character in children's lives the world over, in much the same way as Cinderella and Sindbad filled the imagination of earliest generations.
To compare Harry Potter to these characters is to register the differences between one age and another, with the former's gifts and abilities reflecting today's fantasies. Children may no longer be interested in tales of sleeping princesses. What continues to draw their attention, however, is how someone of their age might control the world in which they find themselves. An doing so magic remains a favoured option.
The lesson we should learn from Harry Potter is that writing for children is neither easy, nor straightforward; and in aiding the spread of reading we must take this into account.
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
