CFP: Forbidden Fruit: The censorship of literature and information for young people

CFP: Forbidden Fruit: The censorship of literature and information for young people

Conference URL: http://forbiddenfruitconference.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
Call for Papers information at the bottom of that page.

This two-day conference offers an opportunity for practitioners from libraries, information services and education, researchers from a range of disciples, publishers, authors and policymakers from all sectors interested in to meet, network and share experiences. Forbidden Fruit will focus on the censorship of print, electronic and other literary and information resources for young people - 19-20 June 2008 - Southport, UK


You are invited to present an abstract for a presentation in either of the following formats:
-Reflective paper (approx 30 minutes plus discussion)
-A case study (approximately 20 minutes plus discussion): a short report of an research of an activity or project
-A poster (a visual presentation of a case study or issue, with opportunities for informal discussion)

Suggested themes include:
-Young people, the Internet and censorship
-Access to citizenship, health and other information for young people
-Pressure groups and censorship
-The role of information literacy
-Publishers and censorship
-Media literacy
-Authors for young people and censorship
-Media reaction to censorship
-Graphic novels and manga and ‘crossover’ novels
-Library selection policies
-The history of censorship

Please complete and return the form below together with an abstract of up to 200 words to return by email to ffruit@hotmail.co.uk or by fax to 08717 145 900. The closing date for submission of abstracts is 7th January 2008.
For more information, please contact ffruit@hotmail.co.uk

CFP: THIRD ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA ENGLISH GRADUATE CONFERENCE

CFP: THIRD ANNUAL UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA ENGLISH GRADUATE CONFERENCE

"Art Made Tongue-Tied By Authority": Expression, Suppression, and Censorship

Conference date: Friday September 21 ­ Saturday September 22, 2007
Place: Department of English, University of Ottawa
Deadline for proposals: June 1, 2007
Contact: uottawa.conference@gmail.com

According to playwright Eugene O'Neill, "Censorship of anything, at any time, in any place, on whatever pretence, has always been and always will be the last resort of the boob and the bigot." Censorship continues to be a major impediment to freedom of speech in literature, music, and visual and other arts. Indeed, for every act of artistic expression there seems to be
an opposing act of artistic suppression.

Why have artistic works been censored throughout history, and why, in countries that pride themselves on freedom of speech like Canada and the U.S., do they continue to be? Have the reasons for censoring texts changed over history, or do they remain essentially the same? Who exactly are the "boob[s] and bigot[s]" that censor texts? Are there instances where
O'Neill's characterization of the censor is too narrow-minded or even inappropriate? Are there cases where censorship is appropriate or justifiable? Can suppression act as an influence for creative expression or re-presentation?

The Third Annual University of Ottawa English Graduate Conference invites graduate student papers that deal with the censorship of texts (books, films, music, visual arts, advertisements, etc.) in "any time, in any place, [and] on whatever pretence."

Possible topics for consideration include (but are certainly not limited to):

* Individual authors/artists who have been censored
* Censored/Banned/Burned Texts
* Taboo subjects/words
* Mechanisms of censorship (i.e. how it is implemented and enforced, and how these have changed over time)
* Censorship in the cause of political correctness
* The teaching of controversial literature and banned books
* The censoring of children's literature (high school libraries, etc.)
* Censorship of/and History (ie. Holocaust denial, history textbooks, war letters)
* Anti-censorship campaigns (ie. Canada's "Freedom to Read" Week)
* Censorship and Technology (internet, television, computer games, etc.)
* Censorship of the body
* The recovery of repressed or suppressed texts (religious texts, Aboriginal writing, etc.)
* Censorship and minority groups
* Journalistic censorship (Pamphlet wars, media control and ownership, etc.)
* Self-Censorship
* "bleeping" in music and television
* Censorship after 9/11 (journalism, film, etc.)
* Positive aspects of censorship (i.e., J.M. Coetzee: "there may even be cases where external censorship challenges the writer in interesting ways or spurs creativity.")

Submission Guidelines

Please email a 250 to 300 word abstract and a short biographical statement
to uottawa.conference@gmail.com by June 1, 2007. Papers should be 15-20
minutes in length. Please specify if you require any A/V equipment.