Cfp: CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND TRANSLATION STUDIES (CLTS) 2026

Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic
in cooperation with Stockholm University and the University of Wrocław is pleased to invite you to the international conference in

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND TRANSLATION STUDIES (CLTS) 2026

"Beyond New Voices: Futures of Children’s Literature in Translation"

August 26–28, 2026

Following the conferences held in Leuven/Antwerp (2017) and Stockholm (2024), the 2026 CLTS conference continues to explore the dynamic intersection between Children’s Literature Studies and Translation Studies. These earlier meetings mapped out the field and amplified new voices; the 2026 edition builds on this momentum by asking how translation for children and young adults is being reshaped by cultural, ideological, and technological change.

In particular, we wish to consider the transformative role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in translation. From automated translation tools to multimodal platforms and generative AI, new technologies are reshaping creative practices, publishing workflows, translator training, and children’s reception of translated texts. These developments raise urgent questions about quality, creativity, ethics, inclusivity, and power in the production and circulation of literature for young readers.

The conference seeks to bring together scholars and practitioners to examine both continuities and new departures, creating a space for dialogue about the futures of translating for children and young adults across languages, media, and cultural contexts.

We welcome proposals addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Futures of children’s literature in translation: new challenges and opportunities

• Creativity, rewriting, and authorship in the translation of texts for young audiences

• Translation flows, publishing networks, and the role of institutions and mediators

• Ethics, ideology, and power dynamics in translating for children and young adults

• Reception, readership, and participatory cultures

• Translation into minority languages

• Literary papers on children’s literature with international involvement/impact

• Intermedial, multimodal, and digital translation (picturebooks, audiobooks, comics, games, streaming media)

• Inclusivity, diversity, and representation in global contexts

• Translator training, competence, and professionalisation in child-centred contexts

• Artificial intelligence and digital technologies in the translation of children’s and young adult literature — creative possibilities, ethical challenges, and future directions

We particularly encourage proposals from early career researchers and practitioner perspectives.

Submission Guidelines:

• Abstracts: up to 300 words, including 5 keywords

• Biography: max. 70 words

• Deadline for submission: 28 February 2026

• Notification of acceptance: 30 April 2026

• Presentation length: 20 minutes (plus discussion)

• Poster proposals will also be considered.

• Panel proposals: submit individual abstracts, clearly indicating the name of the panel.

You can register for the conference and submit your proposal here.