SALAMANCA, Spain – June 21, 2025 – Against the backdrop of one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious academic institutions, the University of Salamanca, the 27th Biennial International Research Society for Children’s Literature (IRSCL) Conference officially opened its doors today. The five-day global summit has brought together hundreds of leading scholars, authors, publishers, and researchers from dozens of countries to engage in a critical dialogue on one of the most pressing issues of our time: “Borders, Migration, and Liminality in Children’s Literature.” The event, running through June 25, is poised to be a defining moment for a field that grapples with how to prepare young minds for an increasingly fragmented and mobile world.
Convened by Dr. Izaskun Elorza of the University of Salamanca and Dr. Carmen Santamaría-García of the University of Alcalá, the conference moves beyond simplistic views of children’s stories as mere escapism. Instead, it positions them as powerful cultural artifacts that reflect, shape, and sometimes challenge societal norms around identity and belonging. The theme explores “borders” in all their complexity – from the physical, politically charged lines that divide nations to the invisible but potent borders of language, class, gender, and even the line between the human and the non-human in the age of ecological crisis and technological advancement.
The first day’s proceedings immediately established the conference’s intellectual depth. The opening plenary was delivered by Evelyn Arizpe, a professor at the University of Glasgow and former IRSCL president renowned for her work on displacement and peacebuilding in picturebooks. Later, Jesús Moya-Guijarro of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, a pioneer in the multimodal analysis of children’s media, offered his insights. Thematic breadth was further demonstrated in a compelling presentation by children’s author Alisa Miroshnichenko, who presented her literary work.
The momentum is set to build over the coming days with a meticulously curated program. Sunday, June 22, will be anchored by a plenary from Australian scholar Len Unsworth, an authority on digital and multimodal literacies. The day will feature a wide array of discussions, including deeply resonant panels such as “Migrating Memory in Children’s Literature of the Holocaust,” which examines new perspectives on historical trauma, and “Belonging in Britain: The Changing Views of Afro-Caribbeans,” which traces evolving identities through literature. The day will conclude with a music concert and a social gathering in the historic cloister of the Colegio Arzobispo Fonseca, providing a crucial space for informal collaboration among the international delegates.
On Monday, June 23, the intellectual inquiry will shift to explore intersections of identity, environment, and creative expression. Dr. Sara Van den Bossche from Tilburg University will deliver the morning plenary, focusing on her expertise in diversity, feminism, and ideology in youth literature. The day’s sessions promise to push boundaries with panels like “Posthumanism: What’s Love Got to Do with It?” and “Pedagogical Possibilities in the Anthropocene,” which explores how climate literature can foster empathy and hope. The academic program will be complemented by hands-on events, including a zine-making workshop and a special exhibition from Peru’s “Taller de libro cartonero” project, highlighting the power of grassroots publishing.
The conference’s final days will continue to address the field’s most urgent questions. Tuesday, June 24, features a plenary by Dr. Macarena García-González of Pompeu Fabra University, whose work explores critical childhood studies and posthumanist philosophies. Sessions will tackle topics like “Gatekeeping, Queerness, and Liminality” and the intricate politics of translation in a panel on “Invisible Migrations.” A forward-looking roundtable on the role of AI in literary translation demonstrates the conference’s commitment to engaging with cutting-edge industry shifts.
The event will culminate on Wednesday, June 25, with a highly anticipated closing plenary by Anita Nair, one of India’s most acclaimed authors and a High-Profile Supporter of the UNHCR. Her unique perspective as both a creator and an advocate is expected to provide a powerful conclusion to the week’s discussions. The conference will formally close that evening with a gala dinner at the magnificent Palacio de Figueroa. More than just an academic meeting, IRSCL 2025 is a crucible for the ideas that will shape the narratives offered to the next generation, making it a critical barometer for the future of global storytelling.
For more information, visit the official website at https://irscl2025salamanca.usal.es/ or follow the event on social media at @irscl2025_usal.
