Approaching War: Europe
Newcastle University, UK, 16-17 March 2013

This international conference, titled Approaching War: Europe , will focus on childhood cultures in Britain prior to and during the First World War. It will also bring together the work emerging from the previous two conferences, taking stock of some of the outcomes of this three-year project and exploring some future ways forward for research on childhood and the First World War.
Call For Papers
This is the third of three conferences aimed at producing a website and edited collections to provide teachers, academics, and the interested public with a rich and diverse resource of materials on childhood, children’s culture and children’s literature in the period 1890-1919. The searchable website will consist of video recordings of the conference papers, backed up by summaries, images, links and bibliographies; the published volumes will contain expanded versions of the conference papers.
We invite proposals for papers on any aspect of childhood, children’s culture and children’s literature in this period, relating to the approach of war. Potential topics might include
- Toys, Games and Ephemera
- Children’s Literature before 1914 (especially poetry)
- Children’s Poetry of the War
- The Approach to War in Continental Europe
- Materials Written by Children
- The Treatment of Children and War in 20th and 21st Century Children’s Books
Please note: the call for papers is now closed.
Conference programme
The final conference programme can be downloaded here.
Conference registration
Conference registration is now open here. The deadline for registration for non-speakers is Friday 8 March 2013. The registration fee includes lunch and refreshments on both days, as well as a buffet dinner and drinks reception at the Hatton Gallery on the evening of Saturday 16 March.
Conference Website
For further details and information, please visit the conference website.

