By Clarissa Rios
Scholars from all over the world will meet at UC Santa Barbara this August to collaborate and exchange ideas in the field of children’s literature. A three-day conference, with the theme “Ecologies of Childhood,” will take place primarily in the University Center.
Sara Pankenier Weld, professor and chair of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, is an organizer of the conference as a board member for The International Research Society for Children’s Literature. Weld first got involved with the Society when she was a graduate student.
During her graduate studies, she had the opportunity to attend the international children’s literature conference in Kristiansand, Norway, which encouraged her to stay involved with the organization.
Weld recently sat down for an interview to discuss her involvement with the upcoming conference on themes that include childhood and environmentalism.
Could you describe the International Research Society for Children’s Literature (IRSCL)?
The IRSCL is an international organization that has members from over 40 countries, and it has existed for just over half a century now. These conferences take place every two years and have been all around the world, but this is the first time it's being held in the United States which is really exciting. I’m happy that we have the honor of hosting it.
Could you tell me more about this year’s conference theme: “Ecologies of Childhood”?
“Ecologies of Childhood” is meant to explore the nexus between children’s literature, childhood, environmentalism, ecocriticism, and climate change. And how this might be relevant in the sense that children will feel these impacts. Also, children’s literature and communication with younger generations of activists who are really playing a leadership role in environmental change is another justification for this theme. Communication to the younger generation about how we need to change, and what is happening, is really important.
Are there any details you can share about the program for the conference or the schedule of events?
Some details of the program are still being finalized, including all the panels. We are expecting around 300 presenters. We have four keynote speakers, and we also have a special evening event at the Carsey-Wolf Center. On Aug. 14, we will have a special film screening with Carsey-Wolf Center of the award-winning film Whale Rider. The author of the book The Whale Rider, Witi Ihimaera, will be here to talk about his book after the film screening. We are planning a collaboration with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, where we will be having an event.
What do you hope attendees will gain from this conference experience?
It’s a strange time we’re in after the pandemic. The last conference, that was held in 2021 in Santiago, Chile, was online because of the pandemic. So, this organization has not been able to come together since 2019 when we met in Stockholm, Sweden. I think this will be a really meaningful opportunity to gather again in person after so much time apart. Because of our focus on “Ecologies of Childhood,” we hope that the conference and the keynotes will promote thought, presentations, publications, and collaborations about the environment, children’s literature, and childhood studies.
Clarissa Rios is a third-year communication major at UC Santa Barbara. She wrote this article for her Writing Program class, Digital Journalism.