This article examines contemporary fanfiction as a form of participatory literary culture enabled by digital media, with particular attention to the Russian-language Harry Potter fandom. Drawing on two years of ethnographic fieldwork, textual analysis of over 700 fanworks, and survey data from bilingual community members, I argue that fanfiction represents a "democracy of reading"—a reclamation of interpretive and creative authority by readers from traditional gatekeepers including critics, publishers, and canonical authors. The study demonstrates how internet platforms have transformed previously marginal reader practices into globally visible, socially networked forms of literary production. Special attention is given to the gendered dimensions of fanfiction writing, the cultural work performed by slash fiction, and the specific sociolinguistic characteristics of Russian-language fan communities. The analysis contributes to ongoing conversations in media studies, literary sociology, and digital humanities by positioning fanfiction not as derivative epiphenomenon but as a legitimate site for investigating contemporary literary experience, interpretive communities, and the evolving relationship between text, author, and audience in networked culture.

fanfiction, participatory culture, Harry Potter fandom, digital literature, gender and media, reader-response theory, Russian internet culture, slash fiction

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Note: All translations from Russian-language sources are by the author unless otherwise indicated.