The 2nd International Conference of “The Graphic World of Children”

This is the first conference that addresses the representation of the Baltic Sea in children’s literature and media, in addition to childhood memories in adult literature and media, from 1945 onwards. The conference addresses a significant gap in childhood studies while contributing to broader cultural, ecological, and geopolitical discussions. Focusing on the Baltic Sea as both a geographical and cultural space, it examines its depiction in a wide range of genres and media, from picture books and poetry to children’s films and young adult novels.

Some contributions also consider the sea’s symbolic function, exploring contrasts between nature and civilization and the ways in which narratives of the sea reflect societal changes over time. By integrating perspectives from multiple disciplines, the conference offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the Baltic Sea’s place in the cultural and narrative landscapes of children’s media. By doing so it not only fills a significant gap in children’s literature studies but also provides a timely reflection on the importance of storytelling in addressing pressing ecological and cultural challenges.

Children’s literature and media are powerful tools for fostering environmental awareness, and the depiction of the Baltic Sea. The conference explores these themes by connecting them to broader global discussions on sustainability and the role of storytelling in building more conscious and engaged citizens.

Welcome!

• Lisa Källström (organiser)

together with the organising committee:

• Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer (University of Tübingen),
• Maaheen Ahmed (Ghent University) and
• Birgitte Beck Pristed (Aarhus University)

on behalf of Graphic World of Children.

Conference program

Invited guests and external readers of drafts presented during the conference: Valerie Alfven (Stockholm University), Corina Löwe (Linnaeus University), and Lennart Hellspong (Södertörn University).

Valérie Alfvén is a senior lecturer in translation studies at Stockholm University, in Sweden, specializing in the sociology of translation and children’s literature translation studies (CLTS). Her research focuses on the study of the circulation of translations of children’s and young adults’ literature from/to Sweden to France or/and English-speaking countries. She is specially interested in how a society and its norms could impact on what is circulating and how texts are translated, especially sensitive topics. She earned her PhD in French with a dissertation on the translation into French of the sensitive topic of "unprovoked violence" in Swedish youth novels. In addition to her doctoral studies, Alfvén holds a Master's degree in Literature from Université de Rennes II in France, where she examined Pippi Longstocking and its French translations and reception. She is also a certified high school French teacher and studied publishing at Stockholm University.

Alfvén publications include works like “Retranslations of Children’s Literature”(2025), "Contemporary translated children's literature in Sweden with a focus on literature from French-speaking regions"(2022) or "Defying norms through unprovoked violence" (2020) which examine various aspects of translation and reception in children's literature.

Specially invited doctoral student: Mårten Michanek (Södertörn University).

Presenters, committee and organiser Word, 27.9 kB.

Funded by the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies, CBEES.