At a time when the link between childhood and animals is well established (de Fontenay 1998), and when animals feature more prominently in children's literature than in any other cultural field, literature and culture for young people appear to be the ideal setting for the expression of a contemporary turn towards animals, and the ecological and environmental sensitivities that go with it. A body of literature committed to defending animals for their own sake is beginning to emerge, ranging from albums for the very young to novels for teenagers and young adults. New themes are opening up and enriching contemporary animal representations, a far cry from the "mask of childhood" (Nières-Chevrel 2009: 48) worn by traditional animal characters, who serve primarily as relays for human messages. According to Catherine Larrère, the emergence of environmental themes has even given rise to a new genre in children's literature, the "ecolije" (Larrère 2018: 317), reflecting the renewal brought about by these issues that are permeating Western societies. At a time when the notions of anti-speciesism and sentience are reconfiguring the way we think about what are now known as 'non-human animals', what is happening to their contemporary representations in children's literature in relation to the environment?
The aim of the conference is to take stock of the French 'awakening' in contemporary children's literature from the point of view of animal studies, and to initiate the creation of a network of researchers working on an ecopoetic approach to children's literature.
As part of the research carried out at LETHICA, the theme of 'moral revolutions' will be addressed by taking a fresh look at animal ethics and its representations in children's literature and illustrations. The theme of 'caring for animals' will be addressed by contributions that set up a particular animal figure as a revealing case study, while others will draw on bodies of work representing ways of caring for animals. In these cases, literature and images act as a sensitive and emotional response to new concerns.
- De Fontenay Élisabeth (1998). Le Silence des bêtes. La philosophie à l’épreuve de l’animalité, Paris, Fayard.
- Larrère Catherine (2018). « Postface » à Éco-graphies Écologie et littératures pour la jeunesse, Nathalie Prince, Sébastian Thiltges (dir.), Rennes, Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
- Nières-Chevrel Isabelle (2009). Introduction à la littérature jeunesse, Paris, Didier jeunesse.
