A conference on Harry Potter gets under way at the University of Limerick today.

The world’s favourite fictional wizard is the topic of an International Academic Conference, which will explore the cultural influence of the books and films.

Speakers from 10 countries will attend the two-day event assessing the impact of the Harry Potter series from literature, to education, law and digital media.

The conference will also include the live trial of controversial Potter character Dolores Umbridge, exploring her crimes and debating the severity of her punishment in the books.