Modern children‘s and youth literature in Scandinavia

The course provides an overview of the historical development of literature for children and young people in Scandinavia. It focuses on a number of famous authors and illustrators from the early 20th century and beyond. It also discusses how the perception of children and young people is depicted in the various texts, in relation to the development of the Nordic welfare state. An intersectional perspective is applied to this discussion, focusing on aspects such as gender, class, age and ethnicity. The storytelling methods used in children’s literature are discussed from a narratological perspective. In addition, analyses of picture books address questions relating to intermediality. Finally, perspectives of pedagogy are applied to children’s literature.