Department of Languages and Cultures, University of Aveiro, Portugal

11-12th April 2024

 

PROGRAMME AND BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

 

BOOK OF POSTERS

 

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

 

Following on from the 1st and 2nd Symposiums of Young Researchers in Children’s Literature in 2018 and 2019, dedicated to the presentation of research projects on Children’s Literature (ChL) in the field of Literary Studies, a third edition of this event will take place on April 11th and 12th, 2024, under the theme “Books for changing the world”.

Being on the periphery of the literary system, ChL is more exposed to the interference and evolutionary trends that arise from the context in which it is produced. It is evident the permeability of ChL to the dominant themes of contemporary society, reflecting its main concerns, such as social exclusion, war or the climate emergency, for example. The growth of children’s agency and activism has been identified as a trend in contemporary production, with an impact on themes and discourses. In addition, children’s books, due to the reading challenges that characterise them, even from the point of view of materiality, also help to train more critical and demanding readers, who are therefore better able to resist manipulation and disinformation.

Therefore, this Symposium is an opportunity to present original research projects on ChL, develop within Master’s or PhD programmes, either ongoing or recently completed, with an emphasis on Literary Studies. Other work by young researchers (regardless of age), carried out as part of their academic training, will also be welcomed.

This edition will include a seminar dedicated to Nordic children’s literature, having as keynote speakers Åse Marie Ommundsen (Oslo Metropolitan University), Elina Druker (Stockholm University) and Mia Österlund (Åbo Akademi University), who will discuss trends in Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish literary productions, characterised by their thematic and visual innovation.

At the end, there will be a debate on the challenges and opportunities of ChL research.

We invite all interested parties, especially researchers in training or recent PhDs, to submit proposals for a poster on children’s literature and its transformative power by 15th February 2024. In addition to the poster, some papers will be selected by the scientific committee for oral presentation in thematic roundtables during the event.

Proposals consist of an extended abstract, between 400 and 500 words, providing a clear description of the work to be presented, including a brief theoretical framework and the methodology used. Poster proposals are accepted in English, Portuguese, Galician, Spanish and French. However, due to the international nature of the event, oral presentations are strongly recommended to be in English.

Accepted works must be presented following the poster format provided by the organization after the results have been announced. Authors are responsible for printing the posters and displaying them in a designated location on the first day of the event.

For more information on important dates and submission procedures, see Submissions and Registration.