Research Focus Group Talk: Key Readings on Adaptation for Children

This talk by Martina Mattei will explore key concepts from The Routledge Companion to Children’s Literature and Culture, focusing on Chapter 27 (“Translation”) and Chapter 29 (“Adaptation”). It will address how children’s literature is translated and adapted across different cultures and media, examining the balance between staying true to original texts and making them accessible for young readers. The chapter on translation covers the complexities of translating children’s literature, emphasizing the need to preserve cultural and linguistic integrity while ensuring that young audiences can understand and relate to the material. It highlights the role of translation in shaping children’s understanding of different cultures and ideas. The adaptation chapter examines how children’s stories are reshaped across various media, such as film and television. It discusses how these adaptations make stories accessible to different age groups while considering cultural and generational influences. The process of adaptation is viewed as a critical way to introduce children to stories in engaging and relevant forms. The talk will emphasize how both translation and adaptation play crucial roles in broadening children’s literary and cultural horizons.

Zoom attendance link here

Sponsored by the IHC’s Global Childhood Media Research Focus Group