FIRST INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S LITERATURE CONFERENCE IN INDIA:
  "The Child and the Fantastic: Readings in children's fantasy literature",
  Children's Literature Association India (CLAI) International Conference
  Hotel Trichur Towers, Thrissur, Kerala, Southern India
  March 26, 2007 to March 28, 2007
  Conference Organizer, Anto Thomas, St. Thomas College, Calicut University, Kerala, India
   
       Children are enchanted by the alluring worlds and characters of British writers like Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows of Kenneth Grahame, C. S. Lewis' "Narnia Series", "The Oz novels" of the American writer Frank L Baum or by P. L Travers' Mary Poppins. Fantasies now top the best sellers lists all over the world: Harry Potter Series (UK), Lemony Snicket Series and Eragon Series (USA), the works of the German author Cornelia Funke, Margaret Mahy's books from New Zealand, Australian John Hanagan's fantasy fiction, etc. Lately children's authors from India too are faring well with their fantasy fiction, such as Chatura Rao with Amie and the Chawl of Colour, Suniti Namjoshi with the Aditi Series, and Vandana Singh with Young Uncle Comes to Town, a book which has invigorated the US reading world recently.
       The examples above are limited to writings in English. Yet each country has fantasy stories to share. What's your story?
       The newly-formed Children's Literature Association – India (CLAI) and St. Thomas University in Kerala invite your participation in the first international Children's Literature Association – India conference March 26-28, 2007. CLAI hopes to provide a platform for scholars in children's literature from all over the world to share their experiences of reading or teaching fantasy.
       The keynote address will be by Alida Allison, Professor, Children's Literature Program, National Center for the Study of Children's Literature, San Diego State University, USA.
      The fantastic entertainment at the conference will be a performance of Alice in Wonderland transformed to the Kathakali art form.
   
  Conference questions include:
  * Why do children love fantasy so much?
  * How does fantasy literature for children vary culturally?
  * Lewis Carroll was a professor of math. Vandana Singh is a teacher of science in a college in Massachusetts. Why are some scientific-minded people drawn to write fantasy for children?
  * How is a fantasy transformed when it is translated to another culture?
   
  To facilitate a broad spectrum of topics, papers can include but are not limited to:
  - contemporary interdisciplinary theories about fantasy for and/or by children
  - literary theory and children's fantasy
  - high fantasy for children
  - science fiction for children
  - fantastic picture books
  - children's fantasy films
   
  Proposals for presentations, panels, or posters should be emailed to antoct_at_yahoo.co.in before January 15, 2007.
   
  Kindly follow the submission requirements stated below:
  1) Proposals should be a maximum of 500 words
  2) Electronic submission should also include :
  a) Name
  b) Institutional affiliation, if any
  c) Complete mailing address with zip code, phone number and email id
  d) Audio-Visual requirements if any
        3) Kindly type "CLAI Conference" as the subject for email submission
   
       Selected participants will receive notice before December 30, 2006.
   
       The venue of the conference will be Hotel Trichur Towers, Thrissur, Kerala. CLAI cannot fund travel or participant costs. All presentations of papers must be made in English. Participants will have to be invited members of CLAI and pay the conference fee. Hotel accommodations can be arranged as per request. Conference registration material, payment information, and details regarding accommodation will be sent to participants later.
   
  CLAI offers different fee structures:
  1) For scholars from India and other parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, the conference fee and invitation membership fee is Rs. 900
  2) For all other international scholars, the aforesaid fee is $50 (Fifty US dollars)
  3) For students from the countries mentioned in category 1) the fee is Rs. 500
  4) For other international students it is $25 (Twenty-five US dollars)
   
  Anto Thomas Chakramakkil
  Senior Lecturer
  Department of English
  St. Thomas College, Trichur, Kerala, India.
   
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Received on Sat Dec 09 2006 - 18:58:08 EST