VIU Hosts The Child and the Book 2009

May 1-3, 2009, the English Department and the Faculty of Education cohosted The Child and the Book 2009, an international conference for post-graduate students started at the University of Roehampton, England.  Vancouver Island University joined past hosts the University of Antwerp in Belgium, Bogaziçi University in Turkey, Newcastle University in England, and Buffalo State University in the U.S. 

The conference was organized by former student Donna Wilford (B.Ed. 2002), Terri Doughty (English), Dawn Thompson (English), Virginia MacCarthy (Education), Heather Pastro (Education), Carolyn Bowles (Education), and current B.Ed. student Jennifer McDonald (B.A. English 2008).

The conference featured 33 presenters from across Canada and the U.S., as well as from Taiwan, Australia, Scotland, Norway, India, and England.  Three of our presenters were former and/or current Vancouver Island University students: Janet Grafton (B.A. English 2004), currently on a SSHRCC scholarship, completing an MA in Children’s Literature at the University of British Columbia; Melissa Bachynski (B.A. English 2007), completing a PhD in English at the University of Western Ontario, and Tanya Whiting, currently completing her B. Ed at VIU.  Paige Fisher (Education), who is completing a Ph.D. at the University of Victoria, also delivered a paper.

Our keynote speakers were Perry Nodelman and Mavis Reimer, internationally recognized scholars of children’s literature and culture from the University of Winnipeg.  They delivered individual presentations on the theme of homelessness in children's literature in the context of globalization and on the ideology of images of babies, as well as a joint presentation on collaborative research in the humanities.

The conference was inter-disciplinary in drawing literary scholars, educational theorists and practitioners, and librarians together to discuss the intersections of children's literature, place, and identity formation.  Question periods featured lively debates, and productive connections were formed between participants.  It was a splendid introduction of VIU to this community of scholars.

The conference organizers are grateful for the support of President Ralph Nilson, Dean Steve Lane (Arts and Humanities), Dean Harry Janzen (Education), and the Vancouver Island University Research Awards Committee.