4th Annual Beverly Lyon Clark Children’s Literature Symposium

12 April 2025Contact: bevlclarksymposium@gmail.com 

We are pleased to invite you to the 4th Annual Beverly Lyon Clark Children’s Literature Symposium, which will be held at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts on April 12th, 2025. 

Beverly Lyon Clark (1948-2021) was a beloved English professor at Wheaton College as well as a prolific scholar and author, specializing in children’s literature and 19th century American literature. Every year since her passing, Wheaton College has honored her legacy by holding a children’s literature symposium in her memory. 

The conference will be a celebration of the importance of children’s literature and the impact that it makes on our children, and therefore our future. It will be an enriching day full of fantastic scholarship. We are looking for undergraduate and early career scholars to create an inclusive and welcoming environment. 

This year’s theme is: The Natural and Unnatural of Childhood

We are accepting proposals for presentations, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Inclusivity: who or what gets to be “naturally” considered children

• Anthropomorphization of animals and the natural world

• What makes something horror or “unnatural”? What determines appropriateness for kids?

• The strange, creepy, and mysterious parts of children’s literature

Submissions are due on February 5th, 2025 and can be sent via email to bevlclarksymposium@gmail.com, along with any questions. 

• Please submit a brief bio and an abstract of your work.  Thank you :)

bevlclarksymposium@gmail.com