Not your ordinary grandma: Old age in Dutch children’s books

The Netherlands have a particularly progressive reputation as a country: it was the first state to legalize gay marriage and has taken a liberal approach to euthanasia for many years. Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, has also been implicated in this process. Dutch and Flemish children’s books are known for pushing boundaries in terms of the themes that can be discussed with children and the artistic styles that are used to express these themes. This interactive talk will use age as a lens to explore some of these children’s books and introduce titles that are particularly candid when it comes to representations of older age. While addressing various issues related to old age, some titles also present older characters as people who still have needs of their own and the ability to change. The intergenerational dialogues that such books open up is crucial in a time where generations are being divided by ageist stereotypes and artificially pitched against each other in political debates.

Veranstalterinnen:

Prof. Dr. Barbara Schlücker und Jun.-Prof. Dr. Anna Stemmann (Institut für Germanistik) in Kooperation mit dem Niederlandistenverband und mit finanzieller Unterstützung der Nederlandse Taalunie und der Botschaft der Niederlande in Berlin

Autor: JP Dr. Anna Stemmann