English-language best-selling novel series for children and teenagers in contemporary Polish media space

Abstract

The essential purpose of the study was the attempt to illustrate the reception of several foreign media cycles of bestselling English-language novels from the field of fantastic literature for children and youth. These included, in chronological order: The Chronicles of Narnia by Clive Staples Lewis, Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials, the Harry Potter septology by J.K. Rowling, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, and the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis, taking also into account the chronology and geography of the phenomenon, it was decided to reconstruct the polyphonic information space around a selected novel (and adaptation) in the press and on the Internet. Taking into account the cultural background that determined the assimilation of these books in Poland and stimulated their above-average popularity, it was sought to recreate mechanisms that affect the creation of a new type of bestseller. It was also decided to focus on the important aspect of marketing and the phenomenon of feedback between the reception of the books and their adaptations.