The Department of Primary Education of the University of Crete and the Department of Primary Education of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens are co-organizing the 20th International Conference The Child and the Book, titled “Diaspora(s), Exile, Nomads, and Children’s Literature,” taking place in May 29 – June 1, 2026, at the Gallos University Campus in Rethymno.

For more than twenty years, The Child and the Book has been recognized as a leading international conference in the field of children’s and young adult literature, hosted annually in a different European country and distinguished for its high academic standards. The conference explores the intersections of higher education, school education, intercultural dialogue, critical literacies, reading promotion, culture, and international collaboration.

The 2026 conference is expected to welcome approximately 200 participants from 30 countries, including distinguished scholars and researchers with significant contributions to the study of children’s and young adult literature worldwide. The event will offer valuable opportunities for networking, academic exchange, and the development of international research collaborations.

In addition, the conference will highlight Greek children’s and young adult literature to an international audience through presentations by researchers and academics from universities across Greece, as well as through an exhibition of award-winning Greek illustrators hosted at the Central Library of the University of Crete in collaboration with the Greek section of International Board on Books for Young People.

Read the full program here: https://www.uoc.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PROGRAMMA_SYNEDRIO_CBS_2026_18_05_2026.pdf