Inspired by the millions of fans of the Harry Potter books, the author addresses an important social question of our mediatised word how texts produced by fans, that can be created and shared on the net freely, influence the consciousness of people? Some authors believe that these texts are promoting a new, democratic and global political participation.  According to Gupta, this freedom is only virtual: fans do not question the existing order that produce profits only for the selected ones, while allow for "free" participation of the masses. Thus despite the creativeness of the texts no real exit points of the system offered by them.

Suman Gupta: Re-reading Harry Potter. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, Chapter 24.

Table of contents

1. Eric J. Hobsbawm : World Distempers – Interview
2. Farkas Péter : Worsening Social Conditions and Segregation in Hungary Facing the Crisis
3. Ana Bazac : Consequences of the Weak Class Struggle and Some Problems of the Left in Romania
4. Artner Annamária : Quo Vadis China? – Condition of the Workers in China
5. Sz. Bíró Zoltán : Kyrgyzstan is on its Way to Chaos
6. Dimitrisz Konsztantakopulosz : The Greek Crisis – The First Battle for Europe
7. Pierre Baudet : Lula’s Brazil – After Eight Years
8. James Petras : Afghanistan – The Longest Lost War
9. Luisa Steur : Adivasis, Communists, and the Rise of Indigenism in Kerala
10. Arundhati Roy : Walking with the Comrades – Ghandians with a Gun?
11. Szigeti Péter : World Order and World-system
12. Bartha Eszter : From where to where? Structural Changes in Hungary after the Fall of State-Socialism
13. Tütő László : Your Money or Your Nation!
14. Suman Gupta : Re-reading Harry Potter – Texts Produced by Fans

Twenty years has passed since the Age of Extremes was published. Despite of the relative shortness of this period it shows new or newly seen changes on the global scene. The direction and magnitude of these changes are still not clear but this does not lift the need for analysing them and to investigate the possible social and political actions stemming from them.

See the original article in New Left Review 61, January-February 2010.

"Personal responsibility cannot be taken by so many of our fellow countrymen. The society should take it that provides neither sufficient jobs nor income for them," concludes the well known leftist economist in his study written for the European Social Watch 2010 report.