BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing - ECPv6.0.5//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://research.reading.ac.uk/centre-for-book-cultures-and-publishing
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/London
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20260329T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20261025T010000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T170000
DTSTAMP:20260723T063737
CREATED:20260706T084842Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260722T122200Z
UID:3356-1789639200-1789664400@research.reading.ac.uk
SUMMARY:The Languages of Children's Books: Celebrating the National Year of Reading at the University of Reading
DESCRIPTION:The Languages of Children’s Books:  \nCelebrating Translation and Linguistic Diversity \nCo-organised by the Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing and Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism at the University of Reading\, in partnership with Outside in World and as part of World Kid Lit month. \nThis mini festival will be held in person on the London Road campus of the University of Reading\, with all panel sessions and lightning talks offered for online participants. \nTo register for this event please click here.  \n(Please note: For standard delegates\, we will charge £10 to cover a sandwich lunch\, and morning & afternoon refreshments. Students can attend free of charge. Online attendance is also free of charge) \nLanguages are a central part of bringing diverse books to readers\, and ensuring those stories speak to them. This one-day festival celebrates the work taking place across different sectors of the of the children’s book world (academics\, advocacy organisations\, creators\, educators\, librarians\, publishers\, translators) to promote children’s access to stories in translation\, multilingual storytelling and linguistic diversity in their books. As part of the National Year of Reading in the UK\, we believe it is important to showcase the many ways in which the languages of their books can inspire young people to get reading. \nThe mini festival will be structured around panel discussions\, interactive workshops\, showcases\, and exhibitions\, and close with a book launch and drinks reception. It is intended to bring together people from a variety of fields and backgrounds who are interested in children’s books and languages (broadly interpreted). \nThis event has been generously funded by the AHRC Impact Accelerator fund\, the Centre for Book Cultures & Publishing and the Centre for Literacy & Multilingualism. \nDraft schedule (subject to minor changes) \n10am – Coffee and registration \n10.15 – Welcome  \nDr Sophie Heywood\, University of Reading | Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing \nPatricia Billings\, Outside in World | Milet Publishing \n10.30 – 11.15 Panel 1: Reading for pleasure in the ‘super diverse’ 21st century: what is the research telling us?  \nModerator: Dr Daisy Powell\, University of Reading \nSpeakers: \n\nDr Anish Harrison\, National Literacy Trust\nDr Darren Chetty and Prof Karen Sands O’Connor\, UCL/ University of Sheffield\nProf Sabine Little\, University of Sheffield\nDr Sophie Liggins\, University of Essex\n\n11.15-11.30 – Break \n11.30 – 12.15 – Panel 2: Multilingual and translated books and the National Year of Reading: industry perspectives \nModerator: Dr Megan Farr\, Bath Spa University I Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru/Welsh Books Council \nSpeakers: \n\nJake Hope\, Award Executive\, The Carnegies\nAnam Zafar\, Translator | World Kid Lit\nAnna Ridley\, Head of Children’s Publishing\, Thames & Hudson\n\n12.15-1.15pm Lunch \n12pm onwards: Exhibition space  \n\nPublishers’ stands (including: Pushkin Children’s Books\, Otter-Barry\, Mantra Lingua\, Milet\, Flying Eye Books and The Emma Press)\nExhibitions (including IBBY UK honours books and Palestinian children’s books\, tactile picture books)\nPosters: PhD students and research projects\nLightning talks – including speakers: Gareth Osborne (University of Antwerp) Cybercity app for fostering critical media literacy across languages/ Lori Sieling on Kids Read the World in the multilingual SEND classroom/ Greta Friggens for Outside in World collection\n\nAll participants are invited to join the Spectacular Translation Machine during the lunch break. This literary translation installation led by translator Sarah Ardizzone will centre on the eerie and beautiful French graphic novel Monstres by writer Stéphane Servant and illustrator Nicolas Zouliamis. \n1.15 – 2pm panel 3 – The languages of accessibility \nModerator: Professor Holly Joseph\, University of Reading \nSpeakers: \n\nProfessor Emma Pagnamenta and Vesna Stojanovic\, University of Reading\nDr Vishnu Nair\, University of Reading\nAlex Strick\, Outside in World/ Inclusive Minds\n\n2-2.45pm Project Showcase- Young Creative Translators: Engaging Young People in Reading Through Creative Translation \nChair: Dr Charlotte Ryland\, Stephen Spender Trust/ University of Oxford \nSpeakers: \n\nDr Stacie Allan\, Stephen Spender Trust\nMs Natalie Delidjani\, White Woman Lane Junior School\nMs Rosa Torr\, National Centre for Writing\n\n2.45-3pm Break \nTranslation workshops: 2-3pm  \nThe Spectacular Translation Machine: workshop for French students\, Y9 and upwards. This literary translation installation led by translator Sarah Ardizzone will centre on the eerie and beautiful French graphic novel Monstres by writer Stéphane Servant and illustrator Nicolas Zouliamis. Preparation materials for use in class available on request\, please contact s.l.heywood@reading.ac.uk. \nArabic translation workshop with literary translator and editor Anam Zafar. Join award-winning translator Zafar in translating extracts from her co-translation of Lena Merhej’s moving and funny graphic memoir Yoghurt and Jam (or How My Mother Became Lebanese). Set in Lebanon\, Merhej explores hybrid identities\, the civil war and growing up in a large multilingual family through a journey into her mother’s past. Participants will discover how to decode books like a professional translator\, the challenges of translating humour\, and more! Registration for this workshop is available via the general registration for in person tickets. For schools registration\, please contact s.l.heywood@reading.ac.uk. \nLecture hall: all participants \n3-3.30pm Presentation and readings from the Spectacular Translation Machine Led by translator Sarah Ardizzone \n4pm – Bilingual book launch for When you were a cloud by María José Ferrada and Azul López\, translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel (The Emma Press) Includes discussion with translator Lawrence Schimel\, presentation of bookmarks and marketing materials designed by Y10 Spanish students from local schools as part of the Stories on the Move project \n4.30-5pm Refreshments in the quad (weather permitting) \n5pm – Festival close
URL:https://research.reading.ac.uk/centre-for-book-cultures-and-publishing/event/national-year-of-reading-at-the-university-of-reading/
LOCATION:University of Reading\, London Road Campus
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://research.reading.ac.uk/centre-for-book-cultures-and-publishing/wp-content/uploads/sites/138/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-06-at-09.41.32.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR