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The Interdisciplinary Centre on Mediation and Translation by and for Children, MeTRa is proud to announce the international conference:
“Literature, Translation, and Mediation by and for Children: Gender, Diversity, and Stereotype”
University of Bologna at Forlì
Children’s literature is a key carrier of social and cultural models, values, and roles. Gender difference and gender models available to children have recently acquired particular relevance in many Western societies, and the way they are represented has an impact on the evolution of younger generations’ gender identities. In a globalized world where diversity tends to be flattened out in favour of stereotyping, the conference looks at the role of writing and literature-making with a view to exploring the latest trends in the international publishing industry and future developments that may contribute to more open, sustainable societies. Looking at the translation of children’s literature can contribute to shedding light on how diversity, various roles, and stereotypes are carried across languages and cultures. Analyses of non-linguistic factors of literary texts for children and YA are also welcome.
Transversal and interdisciplinary proposals will be particularly welcome. Possible sub-topics may include, but are not limited to:
Gender models, roles and identities in children’s and YA literature;
Migration, diversity, multiculturalism in children’s and YA literature;
Paratext-mediated gender models in children’s and YA literature;
The addressee of the paratext: the role of authors vs that of editors and publishers;
Reversing gender stereotypes in children’s and YA literature;
Literary representations of new forms of parenthood and LGBTQ families;
Visibility, representation and translation of LGBTQ characters in children’s and YA literature;
“Sensitive” publishing: fortune and translation of stereotype-free children’s and YA literature;
New literary and educational approaches oriented to respect and inclusion and against the stereotype of so-called “gender ideology”;
The translation of children’s and YA literature – issues of sexism in language;
Translating diversity, migration, multiculturalism in children’s and YA literature;
Audio-visuals for children and YA: translation criticalities vis-à-vis gender issues, stereotypes, rainbow families, identity issues, etc.;
“Boys’ play, girls’ play”: gender stereotypes in the advertising, packaging, selling of children’s toys, books and products;
CLB as a factor of (super)diversity; and
CFP – Tales of Two Cities: Children’s Literature and (Unequal) Childhoods in New York City Panel Proposal
January 4-7, 2018, New York City
Send abstracts (300-500 words) and a short bio (50-75 words) to Lara Saguisag (lara.saguisag@csi.cuny.edu) by March 1, 2017.
PLEASE NOTE: This CfP is for a proposed, not a guaranteed, session at the 2018 MLA Annual Convention (January 4 – 7, 2018; New York City). For your abstract to be included in the proposal, you must agree to join MLA or renew your membership no later than April 7, 2017. The MLA Program Committee will review all proposals in May 2017.
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CFP – Children’s and Young Adult Fantasy Literature: Past, Present, Future
Posted on November 24, 2016 by admin
TAIWAN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (TCLRA)
CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT FANTASY LITERATURE; PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
CALL FOR PAPERS (CFP)
An international one-day conference hosted by:
Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Fo-Guang University, Taiwan
Taiwan Children’s Literature Research Association (TCLRA)
Date: Saturday, November 25, 2017
Venue: Fo-Guang University, Taiwan
Keynote Speaker: Professor Vanessa Joosen, Antwerp University, Belgium
The ability to fantasize, a creative faculty of the human mind, has been a rich source of so-called “children’s and young adult fantasy literature,” an umbrella term that covers a variety of genres like myths, folklore, fairy tales, fantasy stories, ghost stories, science fiction, time slip narratives, dystopian/utopian fiction, etc. From generation to generation, adult writers around the world communicate various visions of life, values, and desires to young readers through children’s and young adult fantasy literature. In the modern era of rapid social change and cultural transmission, children’s and young adult fantasy literature has generated new themes of works, diverse modes of artistic expressions, and even new generic features.
The conference invites abstracts for 20-minute presentations to explore any aspect of children’s and young adult fantasy literature. Topics can include, but are not limited to:
Theoretical approaches to genres
Film/animation/theater adaptations of fantasy works
Retellings of folklore, fairy tales, myths, and other fantastic narratives
Fantasy in picture books and other visual texts
14 February 2017: Abstracts Due
28 February 2017: Notification of Acceptance
30 September 2017: Revised abstract due for printing in the conference handbook
25 November 2017: Date of Conference
Please submit an abstract (300 words in English) and a short bio (50-100 words in English) to Chen-Wei Yu at cwyu@gm.fgu.edu.tw.
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Call for 2017 IRSCL Travel and Research Grant Applications
Posted on November 23, 2016 by admin
Members of IRSCL are invited to apply for travel grants of not more than US$1,000 to enable IRSCL members to attend the Toronto Congress. This grant supports members who might not otherwise be able to travel to the Congress. It is necessary to be an IRSCL member in good standing at the time of application. For more information about applications and to access the forms, see the Grants section of this website, under Travel Grants. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2017. Successful applicants will be notified in early May 2017.
Members of IRSCL are invited to apply for 2017 IRSCL Research Grants. There will be two grants, each worth US$1,000, intended to encourage postgraduate or early career scholars in children’s literature. Eligible activities include literary, historical, cultural, sociological, empirical and pedagogical research. Applications should include a clear outline of aims, methodology, budget allocation, and expected outcomes. It is necessary to be an IRSCL member in good standing at the time of application. For more information about applications and to access the forms, see the Grants section of this website, under Research Grants. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2017. Winners will be announced at our Congress in Toronto.
Posted in IRSCL news
CFP – Intergenerational Desire in Children’s Literature: Special Issue of International Research in Children’s Literature
Posted on November 22, 2016 by admin
Special Issue of International Research in Children’s Literature
Intergenerational Desire in Children’s Literature
Guest editors: Christophe Van Eecke and Lies Wesseling
This special issue seeks to explore the diverse economies of intergenerational eroticism and sexuality that pervade children’s and young adult’s literature, both the books themselves and the dynamics between authors and readers.
There has always been speculation about Lewis Carroll’s and J.M. Barrie’s attitudes to children, while a well-known author like William Mayne was convicted of indecent assault. But what about the books themselves? Between author and child stands the book as mediator, which may speak about erotic or sexual relationships between adults and young persons, portray such relationships, or suggest them obliquely. Are such books tools for grooming a child, or can they also empower children’s own sexuality (a taboo topic in our culture)? How are such processes at work in the books themselves? How do young readers respond to such books? And how do authors put such books to use?
We want to explore the many ways in which children’s literature operates in the controversial area of intergenerational sex and eroticism. We welcome contributions on all aspects of this topic: articles on paedophile writers of youth literature and the sexual politics of their work; on children’s books about sexual or erotic relationships (“bonding”) between the generations; on the response of young readers to such books; on the erotic in children’s literature and its relation to the desires and needs of both author and reader, or on any other topic that illuminates this field. We especially welcome contributions that discuss little-known authors who write in non-English languages or contributions that reach out to other media and traditions such as the graphic novel for children, children’s films, new media and online publications (blogs, e-books), or the oral traditions of urban legend, fairy-tale, and children’s rhyme. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged.
Abstracts (300 words) and a short bio (150 words) should be submitted to irclspecialissue@gmail.com before 28 February 2017. Deadline for submission of full articles will be 31 May 2017. Following review, deadline for finalised articles will be 15 August 2017.
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Tenure-Track Faculty in Children’s Literature at Middle Tennessee State University
Posted on November 17, 2016 by admin
Job Title: English, Children’s Literature, Tenure-Track Faculty
University Expectations: Excellence in teaching, research/creative activities, and service is expected for all positions. MTSU seeks candidates committed to using integrative technologies in teaching.
Required Education: PhD in English, with a specialization in children’s and young adult literature by August 1, 2017
The Department of English at Middle Tennessee State University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position as a specialist in Children’s and Young Adult Literature (#123055) at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. Start date for this position is August 1, 2017.
Candidates should be committed to undergraduate instruction, but can expect opportunities for graduate teaching and program development as well.
Successful candidates will have a strong record of teaching, an active research agenda, and commitment to service. Candidates with expertise in children’s media, childhood studies, and multicultural, global, and/or postcolonial studies will receive special consideration as will candidates familiar with current technology-related pedagogy, including online teaching.
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CFP – The Children’s Book as Material Object
Posted on November 17, 2016 by admin
The Children’s Book as Material Object
Call for papers for a symposium at The Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
Date: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Keynote Speaker: Philip Nel
The growth in digital media has led to a corresponding “material turn” in academic interest concerning the book as a material object. Children’s books in particular raise the question of the role of the physical and material form in communicating meaning. From the eighteenth century, children’s books have been marketed alongside (gender-specific) toys, and today, pop-up books, illustrated books, and textured books all attest to an interest in exploiting the physical nature of books for children. Children’s books also appear in many forms: picturebooks, comics, digital apps, and video games. This conference aims to explore the many physical forms that children’s books can take, and asks what we can learn from studying the materiality of the children’s book.
Topics might include, but are not limited to:
The materiality of the archive
The (non?) materiality of digital media
Ephemera, inscriptions, and paratext
The visual impact of the book
Children’s books as objects of play
Please submit a title and abstract of a maximum of 300 words, along with a bionote of up to 50 words, to childlit@lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk by 1 February, 2017.
We are also accepting applications for the role of panel chair. Please send a 100-word application to childlit@lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk by 1 February, 2017.
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CFP – Betwixt and Between: Boundaries and Peripheries in Children’s Culture
Posted on November 17, 2016 by admin
Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature Conference 2017
Theme: Betwixt and Between: Boundaries and Peripheries in Children’s Culture
Conference Dates: 28-29 April 2017
Venue: Dublin City University, All Hallows Campus
Keynote Speaker: Emerita Professor Máire Messenger Davies
Boundaries, both physical and abstract, abound in children’s literature, as factors including age, gender and class have infuenced, and continue to limit, texts provided for children, and how and where those texts are consumed. Critical debate about the content and purpose of books, films and other media productions for young readers is ongoing, as long-established links between socialisation and children’s literature are interrogated and re-imagined to reflect changing social conditions and moral codes. Although children’s literature has moved from the margins and is now an established field of academic study, peripheries, too, persist and proliferate. Translated texts, which cross linguistic boundaries, and those produced in minority languages, such as Irish, seldom receive extensive exposure or critical attention. With the advent of digital media, the printed book is itself becoming increasingly marginalised.
Proposals are invited on the overall theme and associated topics in the context of both Irish and international literature for children, and also in relation to print and other media.
Papers in both the Irish language and English language will be most welcome. Cuirfear fáilte roimh chainteanna as Gaeilge agus as Béarla.
Possible topics include but are not confined to:
Subversion vs conservative bias in books and media productions for children;
Exile, migration and immigration in cultural productions for children;
Adaptations and retellings of adult texts for children;
Image and the visual in texts for children;
Crossing boundaries in film and drama for children;
Genre boundaries and young adult literature;
Anthropomorphism and children’s literature;
Media boundaries and children’s culture;
The shift from print to digital media and its implications for children’s literature and culture;
Translation of texts for children; and
Representation of the marginalised in books and media productions for children.
Proposals of 300 words maximum should be sent to the conference co-organiser, Caoimhe Nic Lochlainn at caoimhe.niclochlainn@dcu.ie and be cced to isscl.committee@gmail.com.
Subject line should read “ISSCL Proposal” to arrive no later than Monday, 16 January 2017.
For further information on the Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature, see https://issclblog.wordpress.com.
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Assistant Professor in Childhood/Youth Studies at Ryerson University
Posted on November 14, 2016 by admin
Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track Position) – Childhood/Youth Studies
Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, November 30, 2016
The Department of English at Ryerson University (www.ryerson.ca/english) in Toronto invites applications for a tenure-stream appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, effective July 1, 2017, subject to final budgetary approval. The area of specialization is Childhood/Youth Studies.
Candidates will hold a PhD in English or in a related field, which must be completed by, or within six months of, the appointment. Applicants shall demonstrate evidence of high-quality teaching, a strong research profile and an emerging scholarly record, as well as the capacity for collegial service. All candidates with research and teaching expertise in Childhood/Youth Studies will be considered, but we are most interested in applications from scholars with expertise in one or more of the following areas: contact/indigenous literatures and cultures; queer/trans/gender/sexuality studies; performance studies or new media and digital culture studies.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach a variety of English courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, including a first-year survey course in English literature and courses in their field of specialization.
The English Department prides itself both on the quality of its teaching and the breadth and excellence of its research. Located in the heart of Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada, Ryerson University is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. The University is known for innovative programs built on the integration of theoretical and practically oriented learning. Our undergraduate and graduate programs are distinguished by a professionally focused curriculum and strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and creative activities. Ryerson is also a leader in adult learning, with the largest university-based continuing education school in Canada.
Applications shall include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a recent writing sample, a teaching dossier, and be supported by three confidential letters of reference. Please submit your application online via the Faculty Recruitment Portal at www.ryerson.ca/jobs. Applications by fax or e-mail will not be accepted. Confidential inquiries can be directed to Dr. Nima Naghibi, Chair of English (nnaghibi@arts.ryerson.ca).
The deadline for submission of applications is November 30, 2016. Applicants are asked to indicate in their application if they are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
Applications should be addressed to Dr. Nima Naghibi, Chair, Department of English, Ryerson University. Confidential Letters of reference should be sent under separate cover to Luanne MacDonell, Department Administrator, English at lmacdonell@ryerson.ca.
Ryerson University is strongly committed to fostering diversity within our community. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our staff, our faculty and its scholarship including, but not limited to, women, visible minorities, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply but applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to and meaningful experience with the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will be expected to demonstrate their ability to work with a diverse student population.
This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Ryerson Faculty Association (RFA). The RFA collective agreement can be viewed at: http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/teaching/documents/RFA_CA/RFA_Collective_Agreement-July_1_2011_to_June_30_2015.pdf. The RFA’s website can be found at: www.rfanet.ca. A summary of RFA benefits can be found at: http://www.ryerson.ca/hr/benefits/benefits_by_group/rfa/index.html.
Aboriginal candidates who would like to learn more about working at Ryerson University are welcome to contact Ms. Tracey King, Aboriginal HR Consultant, Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention Initiatives, at t26king@ryerson.ca.
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CFP – Beyond the Blockbusters: Themes and Trends in Contemporary Young Adult Literature
Posted on November 3, 2016 by admin
Beyond the Blockbusters: Themes and Trends in Contemporary Young Adult Literature
Deadline for submissions: December 1, 2016
In the last two decades, Young Adult (YA) literature has become increasingly popular; both the YA fan base and YA publishing imprints have continued to grow at a time when many other subsets of book publishing are shrinking. Fans, critics, television and film producers, and academics all seem to have turned more attention to the YA field. However, while YA continues to expand, it often appears that the corpus of texts that are taught, studied, and critically examined overlap with texts discussed in the popular media; this has created an increasingly small hypercanon of texts that are very often limited to the kinds of bestseller texts that make a huge impact on popular culture. To non-experts, the YA category is often considered to be synonymous with huge blockbuster fiction titles like Harry Potter, Twilight, The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games.
In this edited collection, we seek to expand the discussion of YA from these particular titles into a larger, meta-analysis of trends and sub-genres within the YA designation. We seek to present an exploration of major motifs, themes, plot devices, narrative frames, or character types in order to theorize contemporary YA and analyze the larger implications of emerging sub-genres and trends. Ideally, essays in this collection will help to expose readers to a wider array of YA texts, rather than the standard blockbuster or canonical texts that are often discussed in isolation. We are less interested in close readings of singular texts and are more focused on analysis of broader trends; essays that address common elements across multiple contemporary texts will be given highest consideration. Essays can address YA trends or mini-genres in terms of theoretical importance, cultural significance, pedagogical value, or combinations of these approaches. This collection will ultimately help both scholars and instructors to find, classify, and work with emerging themes and motifs while drawing attention to the significant social, cultural, and political work regularly being done by YA texts that often fly under the radar.
We seek to discuss a number of questions, such as:
How do new trends or subgenres speak to a lack in the field that needs to be filled?
How do new trends or subgenres speak to changes in the conception of the teenager?
What do emerging trends reveal about the tensions inherent in young adulthood or the adult/child paradigm inherent to adults writing for teens?
How do new subgenres, themes, or patterns respond to the voices of activist communities like #blacklivesmatter or We Need Diverse Books?
How do emerging trends represent diverse communities and what assumptions, stereotypes, or boundaries do these texts break down or reinforce?
How are new or adapted narrative structures used to achieve particular pedagogical goals?
What do particular groups of texts with shared themes or motifs reveal about the relationship between those books and the field and/or their audience?
Are all trends spurred by best-seller lists and Amazon algorithms or are there other inciting events that create patterns in YA book publishing?
This collection seeks to examine contemporary YA fiction and so chapters that focus on texts published between 2005 and 2015 will be given first consideration. We would especially welcome essays that take up discussions of identity politics and representation (or lack thereof) as the central point of analysis, as well as essays that recontextualize and reinvigorate voices, perspectives, or modes of representation that are not usually discussed in collections about contemporary YA.
Examples of trends, sub-genres, or thematic patterns might include but are in no way limited to:
female teen assassin stories,
dystopian fairy tale retellings,
historical fiction with cross-dressing female protagonists
arts boarding school narratives,
nonfiction discussions of contemporary feminism,
verse novel memoirs, or
adaptations of adult non-fiction for teens
Please send chapter proposals to beyondtheblockbusters@gmail.com no later than December 1, 2016.
Each chapter proposal should include the following information:
a brief biographical statement (150 words)
an abstract of the proposed piece (400-500 words)
and a brief representative work cited in MLA that includes the primary texts examined as well as potential secondary sources
Additionally, if you plan to incorporate images into your essay, please give a brief description of the type and number: each author will be responsible for securing necessary permissions for all images, extended text excerpts, or other materials.
Chapter proposals are due no later than December 1, 2016. If the essay is accepted to the collection, complete chapter drafts of approximately 5000-7000 words will be due May 1, 2017. All drafts should be in MLA format, reflecting the 8th edition updates. The editors, Dr. Rebekah Fitzsimmons and Dr. Casey Wilson (Georgia Institute of Technology), are happy to discuss ideas for chapters or topics before proposals are due and welcome further queries to beyondtheblockbusters@gmail.com.
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IRSCL Book Award 2022- Applications open
Open Position: Assistant Professor in Global/Transnational Children’s Literature and Childhood Studies