The Children's Literature Research Unit of the University of South Africa is organising a conference on picture books. I would appreciate it if you could bring the call for papers to the attention of the members of your chatline.

Best wishes

Thomas van der Walt

Announcement and call for papers

The language of the picturebook: an international conference and workshop on children's book illustrations

12-15 August 2002

Klein Kariba Resort, Warmbaths, South Africa

Organised by the Children's Literature Research Unit of the University of South Africa

We welcome abstracts (of not more than 250 words) that address the theme and in particular the following suggested subtopics:
Society and ideology in picturebooks
Text/image interaction
Picturebooks for a dual audience
Picturebooks and the teenager
Paratexts in picturebooks
Reality and imagination
Interpretaion of illustrations
The illustration of folktales
The influence of globalisation on picturebooks
Picture books and illustrated books in education
The role of picturebooks in early literacy

Due date for abstracts: 12 April 2002. Notification of acceptance will be made within one week.

Confirmed keynote speakers:
Mr Martin Auer (Austrian author)
Prof Maria Nikolajeva, University of Stockholm, Sweden

Illustrators who will participate:
Anthony Browne (UK)
Linda Wolfsgruber (Austria)

The names of other keynote speakers and illustrators will be announced on the conference webpage: http://www.unisa.ac.za/dept/clru/confpicturebook.html

Venue: Following on the successful hosting of the conference of the International Research Society for Children's Literature at Klein Kariba near Warmbaths in the Northern Province in 2001, the resort has once again been chosen as the venue for this first international conference on children's book illustrations on the African continent

The programme, information on the workshops, accommodation, registration fee and pre- and post conference tours, as well as the registration form will be published on the webpage

Mail abstracts and direct enquiries to:
Dr. Thomas van der Walt
CLRU
Department of Information Science
University of South Africa
PO Box 392
0003 Pretoria
South Africa

Fax: 0+27 12 4293400
e-mail: [log in to unmask]