Time: 24–26th October 2024
Venue: Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland
The concept of identity in children’s literature constitutes a multi-faceted phenomenon. Even if it is not explicitly thematised, it often determines the construction of the literary text and its impact on the child reader. It manifests itself in a wide range of aspects, from ideological message through narrative strategies to the choice of language (e.g. hegemonic vs. minority). The identity-forming role of children’s literature is unquestionable: the books people read as children shape them as adults.
The concept of Europe is equally complex, as it has been shaped by geopolitical, ideological, social and cultural changes. The rise and disintegration of empires, the East-West division by the Iron Curtain, and finally, the emergence and transformations of the European Union fostered the coexistence of different projects of transnational thinking. From this perspective, children’s literature can be read as a vehicle for a two-way identity—on the one hand, promoting national identifications; on the other, striving to establish a shared repository of motifs, patterns, and schemes developed through international literary circulation, resulting in more general, European identification.
The theme of identity in children’s literature has already been the subject of scholarly reflection in various European countries (Blažić 2011; Doughty and Thompson 2011; Kelen and Sundmark 2013; Knuth 2012; Krawatzek and Friess 2022, Kümmerling-Meibauer and Schulz 2023; Nordenstam and Widhe 2021; Sheeky Bird 2014; Truglio 2018, etc.). However, research in this field, especially regarding the concept of Europe, needs to be constantly updated and expanded in light of rapidly changing sociological, geopolitical, and cultural realities.
Children’s Literature and European Identities is a pilot conference of the European Children’s Literature Research Network, organised by Children’s Literature & Culture Research Team at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. It is designed as a platform for exploring how different European identities reflect one another, interfere, and interrelate. On the other hand, it will also allow to highlight common patterns and similar elements, and ultimately ask the question about shared European identity.
CONFERENCE MODE
The conference will be held in hybrid mode: on-site in the Collegium Maius of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland and on the online platform (MS Teams).
CO-CONVENORS
Magdalena Bednarek, Anna Czernow, Ewa Rajewska, Michalina Wesołowska, Aleksandra Wieczorkiewicz
Children’s Literature & Culture Research Team: www.facebook.com/zespol.dzieciecy
Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology: wfpik.amu.edu.pl/en
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland: amu.edu.pl/en
(Quelle: Aussendung)