We are delighted to announce that registrations are now open for the conference Fostering Dialogue. Teaching Children’s Literature at University, being held ONLINE  19-21 November, 2020.  Registration is open to anyone interested in the field of teaching children’s literature in university settings.

1. Online platform

There will be a conference-dedicated YouTube channel where we will share livestreaming of the conference presentations. Presentations will also be archived for viewing by conference registrants later. You will be able to meet presenters virtually through their online videos prior to the conference.

2. Registration

Registration fees are as follows:

50 Euro early bird, before September 20

75 Euro from September 21 onwards

To register, please go to this link: https://www.childrensliterature-unipd.it/

3. Programme

We are very excited to announce a range of plenary and thematic sessions on topics including

• Multimodal responses to children’s  literature
• Teaching children’s literature in places of change
• Connecting university students with children
• Children’s literature as literature
• Critical literacy through fairytales
• Programmes of Children’s Literature
• Inviting dialogue around literature

We are planning three plenary sessions within our programme.

Our first panel will bring together four perspectives on the teaching of children’s literature (Education, Literature, Librarianship and Language teaching), recognizing that where we are located in the university influences our teaching. Each panelist will discuss distinctive aspects of their perspective on teaching children's literature, its affordances and challenges. This panel will allow us to start our conference acknowledging the different perspectives from which we approach the teaching of children’s literature.

Our second panel will focus on how children’s literature is taught online, because so many university professors are now teaching online due to the pandemic. Many of us have been forced to move to teaching online but without experience in how to design effective online courses in children’s literature, which are typically focused around books and highly interactive.  In this panel we will learn from those who have extended experiences using online instruction to teach children’s literature.

Our last plenary session in the programme will be a General Assembly or Town Hall meeting for all conference participants. This final session is a chance for all participants to reflect on our learning and ways forward in the development of our scholarship and our teaching of children’s literature in universities. Participants will share key insights and issues that have emerged from the conference through both chat and in-person discussions, as well as to consider the implications for the future of our field and scholarship. 

We look forward to meeting you and fostering dialogue about the way we teach children’s literature at universities.

The Fostering Dialogue Organising Committee

Marnie Compagnaro (University of Padua, Italy)

Nicola Daly (University of Waikato, New Zealand)

Kathy Short (University of Arizona, United States of America)