The conference, which is fully funded by the European Science Foundation (www.esf.org), is a first step towards the investigation of the complex and mutual influences of Avant-Garde movements on children’s literature in different European and non-European countries during the 20th century. Since modern children’s literature in these countries is obviously influenced by Avant-Garde concepts until the present, the topic of the conference reveals a timeless approach which will help to enlarge the historical and theoretical context of children’s literature in a European context.
It is one aim of this conference to bring together those scholars who are interested into the relationship between avant-garde movements and children’s culture (i.e. arts, literature, toys, films for children) within a European context. Since Avant-garde movements were particularly strong in countries such as Czechoslovakia, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the Nordic countries, this conference focuses on the mutual influences of European Avant-garde movements and children’s literature in these respective countries. Moreover, the impact of the European Avant-Garde on Non-European children’s literature, for instance in Brazil, Japan or the United States, should be investigated as well.
Possible topics include:

Theoretical and historical reflections on the literary and artistic discourse of the relationship between children’s literature and Avant-Garde movements
Artistic and literary experimentation in Avant-Garde children’s literature
The combination of media in single artworks
The material effectivity of the avant-garde
The interference of pedagogical and artistic debates on the development of new art forms
Impact of European Avant-Garde on Non-European children’s literature Avant-garde publishers for children
Children’s culture and the Bauhaus at Weimar/Dessau
Afterlife of Avant-Garde art and literature in modern children’s literature written after World War II
Influence of specific Avant-Garde movements, such as Constructivism, Expressionism, Surrealism, New Realism and Pop Art Avant-Garde toys and films for children

Contributions from academics and experts interested in any of these areas and in international perspectives are particularly welcome. An active participation by early stage researchers is required, therefore we especially encourage ph d students and early researchers to submit a proposal (for a short talk or a poster session).

Confirmed keynote speakers:
Jaroslav Andel (DOX Centre for Contemporary Arts, Prague)
Sandra Beckett (Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario)
Tone Birkeland (Bergen University College)
Juan Bordes (Madrid)
Nina Christensen (Children’s Book Centre, University of Aarhus/Copenhagen)
Luiz Antonio Coelho (Pontificial Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro)
Sirke Happonen (University of Helsinki)
Mikhail Karasik (St. Petersburg)
Lena Kåreland (University of Uppsala) Albert Lemmens & Serge Stommels (Nijmegen)
Patricia Molins (Museum Reina Sofia, Madrid)
Philip Nel (Kansas State University)
Marilynn Olson (Texas State University)
Sara Pankenier (Bard College, Boston)
Michael Siebenbrodt (Klassikstiftung Weimar)
Petra Timmer (Amsterdam)

The format of the conference consists of a plenary format (no parallel sessions) with lectures given by the keynote speakers, short talks (20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for discussion), and poster sessions.

There are plans to publishing a volume of selected papers afterwards in book form.

Grants are available for students and early stage researchers to cover the conference fees and possibly part of the travel costs (see application form on the ESF-website).

The deadline for proposals is: 1 March 2012. Notification of acceptance: April 2012

For submitting an abstract and for further information about the conference please go to the ESF-website at: www.esf.org/index.php?id=9078

For any inquiries concerning the conference, contact the chair Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer at: bettina.kuemmerling-meibauer@uni-tuebingen.de

or the conference officer Anne Blondeel-Oman at: ablondeel@efs.org