Showing posts with label Authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Authors. Show all posts
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I've been to a lot of book signings in the past several years, and in some ways they've become my addiction. I love going to them and hearing authors talk about their life experiences - the events that inspired them to create their novels. From every single book signing I've been to, I've always been able to learn something from each and everyone of them. But this particular one has a very special place in my heart. I first heard about Jennifer Niven through her best selling book, 'All the Bright Places', which has recently been auctioned for a film adaptation. After reading the first couple of pages from her novel, I was sold. So I headed down to my local Waterstones, prepared to meet Jennifer.
A couple of months ago, J.K. Rowling released a statement saying that Draco Malfoy was not 'concealing a heart of gold under all that sneering and prejudice' despite what fans of the character may believe. She also described Draco to have 'all the dark glamour of the anti-hero,' which may be the reason why fans gravitate towards him. Now while I respect and admire J.K. Rowling, I have to disagree with the way she describes and views the character of Draco, and here's why.
I have to confess before being introduced to the world of fanfiction, I never really thought much of Draco Malfoy. The character depicted as a bully, an antagonist. He was cruel and full of sinister in my eyes. I always thought he'd grow up to the ultimate villain. But then one day, a good friend of mine introduced me to Harry Potter fanfiction. These stories - alongside their authors - captured the untapped potential of Draco Malfoy's character. The limited spotlight on his character in the books - from a rather ambiguous third person narrative - gave room for exploration. Draco was such a complex character with so much depth and unresolved tension. That untapped potential did not go unnoticed by fans. Fanfiction did something that J.K. Rowling did not do. It gave Draco a true shot at redemption. In these stories, Draco kept his dark gritty persona and yet evolved. Rather than 'concealing his heart of gold', he began to grow as an individual forming his own moral consciousness - usually with a little help from Hermione Granger, but that's another story entirely. The journey to retribution itself was interesting watch because it did not come easy. In natural fashion, Draco stumbled along the way between the line of the light and dark, but eventually evolved into a character that sided with moral justice and the light.
In my personal opinion, I believe it was easier for Harry to be good because he was destined to be. Plus his family was killed by Voldemort, so of course he would want revenge - to rid the world of the evil that destroyed his family. As for Hermione Granger - the brains of the golden trio - she was fighting to prove herself amongst and against the pureblood community. She needed to stand up to herself, to fight for her survival and her heritage as a muggleborn. Ron on the other hand grew up in a family full of wizards who saw equality amongst all wizards - regardless of their blood. He grew up with that same mentality as well as it was part of his upbringing. But Draco Malfoy was entirely different from any of these character. His situation was so much more complex. Draco grew up in a family, surrounded by pureblood propaganda supremacy . He was taught that muggles and muggleborns were inferior to him. What made him special and important was his pureblood heritage. That meant everything. He grew up surrounded by all these thoughts - day in, day out. His struggle towards the light would be more dire, more troublesome. But that is what would make the journey so fruitful and intriguing!
Every single character has several dimensions to them. The ability to be good and the ability to be bad. Sure, Draco had a damaging childhood. His entire life had been influenced by principles his parents had taught him. But surely that didn't have to dictate the rest of his life. People can change. Grow. Become more than what they are. J.K. Rowling dismissed the idea that people are complex and not truly one dimensional. Draco was a complex character with so many layers to his soul. There was so much left to be explored. Again this untapped potential did not go unnoticed by fans. Maybe there are some who like the dark villianous character of Draco Malfoy, but I believe the redeemed Draco captured by fanfiction is what drew many fans to come to like the character. That's certainly what happened with me!
So what do you think of Draco Malfoy? I'd love to hear more about what you think on this topic!
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I remember when I booked my place to see Cassandra Clare - the creator of The Mortal Instruments series - at Waterstones almost four year ago. I was absolutely excited, and yet terribly nervous. I had never been to a book signing before in my life, so I had no idea what to expect or even what to do. Looking back now - after attending roughly five book signings- I really don't know why I was nervous to begin with! So for all of you newcomers, here are some pointers of advice to help you get started!
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting Malorie Blackman at a book signing - with one of my good friends Mariam - taking place during the Birmingham Literary Festival. As soon as I found out about this event, I knew I just had to go. Several years ago, I picked up a book from the library called Noughts and Crosses, and to date it has been one of the most socially powerful books I have ever read. Not only does the series directly address the topic of racism in a rather unusual way, but it's the only book I've come across in the young adult genre that deals with the topic at all. Maybe one of the reasons why this topic is never really approached directly is because, it can be pretty difficult to discuss, and really hard to execute. The story of Noughts and Crosses however did a perfect job of illustrating the impact racial discrimination can have on an individual and society itself. It was a perfectly executed story - which I can imagine must have been one hell of a challenge! Is it any wonder Malorie Blackman was chosen to be our current Children's Laureate?
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