Many Worlds to Walk In:

Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education

Call for Paper Proposals

Deadline for submission: February 15, 2016

A peer-reviewed graduate student conference on children’s literature, media, and culture

University of British Columbia – Saturday, April 30, 2016

Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education is a one-day conference on April 30, 2016 showcasing graduate student research in children’s literature. You are invited to submit an academic paper proposal that contributes to research in the area of children’s and young adult literature, librarianship, education, media, or cultural studies. Submissions of creative writing for children and young adults are also welcome. We are particularly interested in research and creative pieces that draw on the broadly interpreted theme of diversity–including research on narratives that depict diversity and the diverse formats we use to create and share narratives.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Diverse theoretical perspectives on children’s and young adult literature (e.g. postcolonial, feminist, queer, eco-critical approaches)

• Multiculturalism and stories of underrepresented, marginalized, or disabled populations

• Underrepresented formats of stories for children and young adults (graphic novel, picture book app, etc.)

• Inclusive programming and services in children’s librarianship and education

• Indigenous and aboriginal narratives

• Oral storytelling and sign language storytelling

• Newcomer, refugee, and immigrant narratives

• Otherness and trans-national identities

• Problematic interpretations and definitions of diversity

• Diversity within genres: boundary-pushing books, films, etc.

• Cross-media adaptations of children’s and young adult texts

• Translated and multilingual texts for children and young adults

• Resources and services for multilingual readers and families

• Empathy-building through story

• Imagined identities: diversity in fantasy, created worlds

• Multiple perspectives on historical events (Holocaust narratives, etc.)

The topics above are a guideline for the proposals we would like to see, but we are eager to receive paper proposals on any facet of diversity in children’s and young adult texts.

Academic Paper Proposals

Please send a 250 word abstract that includes the title of your paper, a list of references in MLA format, a 50 word biography, your name, your university affiliation, email address, and phone number to the review committee at submit.ubc.conference@gmail.com. Please include “Conference Proposal Submission” in the subject line of your email.

Creative Writing Proposals

Submissions of creative writing for children and young adults in any genre are welcome, including novel chapters, poetry, picture books, graphic novels, scripts, etc.  Please send a piece of work no longer than 12 pages double spaced. (Anything shorter is welcome– poetry, for example, might only be a page). The submission should include the title of your piece, a 150 word overview of your piece (describe age group, genre, and links to the conference theme), a list of references in MLA format (if you have any), a 50 word biography, your name, your university affiliation, email address, and phone number. Please send to the review committee at submit.ubc.conference@gmail.com. Please put “Creative Conference Proposal Submission” in the subject line of your email.

For more info, please contact ubc.conference.2016@gmail.com. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you this spring!