HARRY POTTER fans can truly immerse themselves in the stories of JK Rowling, by signing up to study the novels at university.

The course, entitled Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion, is offered by Durham University and promises to:

…place the phenomenon that is Harry Potteer in its social, cultural and educational context and understand some of the reasons for its popularity

The module is part of the undergraduate Education Studies programme, and has already seen about 70 undergraduates sign up for the course which will be available next year. The course aims to help students read the Harry Potter series in the context of the education system.

Some of the key areas of content that students will consider are:

• Prejudice and intolerance in the classroom
• Anarchy and rebellion
• Bullying, friendship and solidarity
• Courage, ingenuity and integrity
• The concept of good citizenship

JK Rowling published the first Harry Potter book in 1997. Since then, the series has enjoyed phenomenal success; the seven-book series has sold over 400m copies worldwide.

And Durham would appear to be the perfect setting for studying Harry Potter as the town was used as a filming location for the first two films.

Durham Cathedral, near Durham University, was used for both the interior and exterior views of Hogwarts. The cathedral’s chapter house was also used for the scenes in McGonagall’s classroom.

And if that not authentic enough for die-hard fans, they can always sign up for some extra-curricular Harry Potter activities with the International Quidditch Association.