Month: June 2014

Jacqueline Wilson Scholarship

We are delighted  to announce the annual Jacqueline Wilson Scholarship for research into children’s literature. This will be awarded to a postgraduate PhD student working in the field of children’s literature or creative writing for children.

The Jacqueline Wilson Scholar will be based in the award-winning National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature (NCRCL) with access to the Children’s Literature Collection and archives, and will join a lively community of researchers, writers and students. This fully funded scholarship will cover home/EU fees of £3,966 for Home/EU students and maintenance of 15,863 p.a in 2014/15 for 3 years full-time subject to satisfactory progress.

The scholarship is open to new students only and preference may be given to proposals that build on the research interests of the NCRCL. These include, but are not limited to: philosophy; historical fiction; landscape; domestic spaces; memory; reading. Applicants are encouraged to identify potential supervisors as part of their application.

The Department of English and Creative Writing  is looking for candidates of the highest quality, capable of submitting a Ph.D. thesis within 3 years. Applicants should have completed an MA degree in a relevant subject, such as children’s literature, reading or memory, prior to the start of the studentship. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate strong research capabilities and fluency in spoken and written English that meets the university’s entrance criteria for doctoral study.

Deadline for applications: Friday 4 July 2014. Interviews will be held by the end of July 2014

Apply here

For further information or for informal discussion please contact Dr Lisa Sainsbury:L.Sainsbury@roehampton.ac.uk

Application packs can be found here: http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/Courses/Graduate-School/Application-Packs/

Please visit www.roehampton.ac.uk/courses/graduate-school to find out more about postgraduate research at Roehampton. If you have any non-academic queries relating to the studentships, please contact the Graduate School on 020 8392 3619, email graduateschool@roehampton.ac.uk or alternatively admissions on 0208 392 3638

Call for papers: IBBY UK/NCRCL Conference – November 2014

IBBY UK/NCRCL MA CONFERENCE

8 NOVEMBER 2014

University of Roehampton, London

 

Call for Papers on the theme of ‘Belonging is… an exploration of the right to be included and the barriers that must be overcome’

What does it mean to belong? How can literature help children as they struggle to relate to different groups at home, in school, and in the wider society? Who does children’s literature belong to? How can books help all children feel they belong? Children’s literature has traditionally been perceived as a place where all children can find a place and belong. But is this true?

The 21st annual IBBY UK/NCRCL MA conference looks to explore these questions and the concept of belonging in children’s literature.

The conference will include keynote presentations by writers, publishers and academics. Proposals are welcomed for parallel sessions (lasting about 20 minutes) on any relevant issues from any period in the history of international children’s literature. These might include:

  • traditionally excluded groups: LGBTQI, looked after children, disabled children, fostered and adopted children, Romany and traveller children, refugees
  • changes and developments in representations of ethnic diversity
  • the affect of inclusion or exclusion on the reader
  • the accessibility of children’s books
  • the place of issue books in exploring barriers to belonging
  • the promotion of human rights through literature
  • how children’s books can challenge stereotypes
  • the representation of children from all backgrounds
  • socio-economic status and stereotyping
  • how gendered marketing excludes children
  • reader vs revenue –what should be foremost in the mind of publishers
  • national identity – finding your culture in the books you read
  • learning about historically excluded groups through fiction and poetry

The deadline for proposals is July 31st 2014. Please email an abstract of approximately 200 words (for a 20-minute paper), along with a short biography and affiliation to Sue Mansfield of IBBY UK at mansfield37@btinternet.com

Find out more about IBBY UK here  Details of past conferences can be found here

Last chance to sign up!

Last chance to sign up for the NCRCL open day summer event this Saturday!  Please contact Julia Noyce before midnight tonight to book your place!

Download the programme

  • Meet the NCRCL team

  • Book launches

  • Talks by Adèle Geras (author of   the Happy Ever After trilogy,  Troy, Ithaka, Lizzie’s Wish and Cecily’s Portrait) and  Beth Rodgers (Aberystwyth University)

There is no charge for the open day, but you will need to book a place for catering purposes.

In order to book please contact

Julia.Noyce@roehampton.ac.uk