4th Symposium & Workschops for Young Researchers in Children’s Literature

Nous avons le plaisir d’annoncer l’appel à candidatures pour le 4e symposium des jeunes chercheurs en littérature d’enfance, qui se tiendra les 19 et 20 March 2025 à l’Université de Wrocław (Plogne).

Following the earlier Symposiums for Young Researchers in Children’s Literature in 2018, 2019 and 2024 at the University of Aveiro, the fourth symposium will take place on 19−20 March 2025 at the University of Wrocław and will also include a series of workshops. Its overarching theme is Children’s Literature for Understanding the Past, Shaping the Present, and Determining the Future. The symposium offers emerging researchers (up to 2 years after their PhD) an opportunity to present original projects on children’s literature, developed in Master or PhD programs, either ongoing or recently completed, with a focus on literary studies. This event is organized by The Centre for Research on Children’s and Young Adult Literature at the University of Wrocław, in collaboration with the University of Aveiro and the Consortium of the Eras
mus Mundus International Master: Children’s Literature, Media & Cultural Entrepreneurship.

The symposium and workshops will focus on the cultural, social, historical, and political dimensions of literature for children and young adults as a reflection on the past, present, and future. Relevant topics include memory and nostalgia, national heritage, criticism of contemporaneity in texts for young readers, pedagogical contexts related to historical content in children’s books, childhood then and now, changes in conceptualizations of childhood, issues in the history of children’s literature, genre development, comparative studies, canon and tradition, visions of the future, changes in the reception of texts, reprints and new editions of classics for children, and children’s book culture in the past and present.

The symposium will consist of four parts:
1. A series of lectures by keynote speakers: Evelyn Arizpe (University of Glasgow), Macarena García-González (Pompeu Fabra University), and Ana Margarida Ramos (University of Aveiro).
2. A seminar with presentations of research projects by early career scholars selected by the scientific committee.
3. A poster session of research projects by early career scholars.
4. Three workshops led by the keynote speakers, during which the participants will apply selected methodologies to their research.

We invite submissions of abstracts in English (300 words), providing a clear description of the work to be presented, its methodological framework, up to 5 keywords, and 3-5 references. Please also include a short bio (150 words). Submit your proposals to elzbieta.jamroz-stolarska@uwr.edu.pl

The symposium is planned for about 30 participants. The 15 highest-rated proposals will be presented during thematic sessions at the seminar, with accommodation and meals for these presenters covered by the organizers. The other accepted proposals will be presented in a poster session. The poster format will be provided later. The organizers will cover the cost of printing the posters.

All the participants will be asked to pay the registration fee of 40 €, which covers the conference pack, a certificate of participation, lunches, and coffee breaks.

The symposium and workshops will be held in person.

Important deadlines

– Proposal submissions: 30th November 2024
– Notification of acceptance and selection of proposals: 15th January 2025
– Registration: 15th February 2025
– Participants send the PDF versions of the accepted posters for circulation: 1st March 2025

Organizing Committee

Elżbieta Jamróz-Stolarska (convener)
Justyna Deszcz-Tryhubczak
Irena Barbara Kalla

Scientific Committee

Evelyn Arizpe (University of Glasgow)
Inês Costa (University of Aveiro)
Justyna Deszcz-Tryhubczak (University of Wrocław)
Macarena García-González (Pompeu Fabra University)
Elżbieta Jamróz-Stolarska (University of Wrocław)
Irena Barbara Kalla (University of Wrocław)
Ana Margarida Ramos (University of Aveiro)

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