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Jacqueline Rose’s The Case of Peter Pan, or The Impossibility of Children’s Fiction first appeared in 1984, at a time when the study of children’s literature was just beginning to take off in academic departments. It was a formidable gauntlet, lauded by some, castigated by others, and mistunderstood by many, but it has more than stood the test of time. Twenty-five years on, it is still one of the most quoted books in children’s literature criticism.

To mark this occasion, a special issue of Children’s Literature Association Quarterly will be devoted to a reconsideration of Rose’s “case.” Papers are invited on any aspect of her thesis, including (but not limited to):

  • the theoretical roots of Rose’s “case”
  • the work’s overall validity (is children’s fiction utterly impossible, partially possible, or neither of the above?)
  • its current relevance (has it been superseded by later theoretical developments, or are her ideas as pertinent as ever?)
  • its relevance to other texts (is Peter Pan exemplary or exceptional? can one “apply” Rose’s ideas?)
  • does her thesis apply to children’s fiction only, or to other areas of children’s literature and culture (e.g. poetry, drama, non-fiction, film, toys, computer games)?

Please send your papers (which should conform to the usual house-style of ChLAQ, and be between 5000-7000 words in length) to both guest editors, David Rudd (d.rudd@bolton.ac.uk) and Anthony Pavlik (cb2007@boun.edu.tr), by November 1, 2009.

The selected articles will appear in ChLAQ, Fall 2010.

CFP – The (Im)Possibility of Children’s Fiction: Rose 25 Years On