This year the P. Р. Slaveykov worked on the implementation of the project "G-book - Gender Identity: Child Readers and Library Collections" with the financial support of the Creative Europe Programme, sub-programme Culture. The topic is new for Bulgaria and not yet well known, but it is increasingly relevant and entering our everyday lives. Recently in Bulgaria there are children's authors who write and publish books dealing with the idea of gender identity.
Children's literature plays a crucial role in the development of gender identity in girls and boys. Children tend to automatically accept models that are presented to them and therefore identify with characters that belong to their gender group. This is especially true for the choice of 'professions'. Children are accustomed to and accept as perfectly normal that there should be a division of female and male occupations - i.e. girls should be nurses, cooks, teachers, etc., and boys should be pilots, mechanics, engineers, etc. Very often the acceptance of these stereotyped roles is also dictated by the roles given to the characters in illustrated children's books.
For this reason, it is also very important to increasingly activate the idea of positive gender literature for children by offering books that do not separate the sexes by profession, about the family, etc. Today, and especially in some European countries, this type of children's literature can be a very important educational tool on important issues such as integration and respect for cultural, social and religious differences.
Unfortunately, there are still great differences in the way European countries deal with gender identity in children's literature. In those countries where gender equality is more prevalent, the production of gender-positive children's literature is therefore more widespread. But on the other hand, there are few countries where the dissemination of this kind of literature has just begun or is not as strongly developed as in our country.
Partners
- University of Bologna (ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA) -
- Bologna, Italy
- University of Vigo (UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO)-
- Vigo Pontevedra, Spain
- University of Paris-13 (UNIVERSITE PARIS 13) -
- Ville News, France
- University of Dublin - DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY -
- Dublin, Ireland
- Library - City of Dublin Sarajevo - Biblioteka grada Sarajeva -
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- P. Р. Slaveykov -
- Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
The project will create the first European bibliography on gender identity in children's literature. There is an entirely innovative aspect to this, as no such bibliography has existed at this level. The bibliography created in the framework of the project will be characterised by its quality and quantity and will include additional documents such as interactive games, thematic trails, reading sheets, information materials.
In addition, the catalogue will be implemented in 6 languages (English, French, Italian, Spanish, Bulgarian and Bosnian/Serbian), which will ensure a high level of usability also in countries not directly involved in the project.
By improving the exchange of books, the project will support 6 public libraries to enrich their collections with new books on gender identity and introduce a range of activities to bring children/parents/teachers closer to gender positive literature
EXPECTED RESULTS:
- EUROPEAN BIBLIOGRAPHY OF GENDER LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN - This will increase knowledge among those working on gender identity and lay the basis for transnational dissemination of gender-positive books at EU level. The idea is that the bibliography will include most if not all books published in Europe, but also books published on other continents and translated into Italian, French, Spanish, English, Bulgarian and Bosnian.
- THEMATIC TRAVELING COLLECTIONS AND BOOKS (1200) These will enrich the supply of gender-positive books in 6 public libraries and thus increase the number of "books/readers". 2 multi-lingual collections of 30 books each will be implemented, on different themes related to gender identity
- TheONLINE INTERACTIVE CATALOG will promote the dissemination of books and knowledge, as the bibliography will be easily accessible and will be supported by additional materials to be used for educational purposes.
- Audience development events. These will raise awareness and encourage target groups to adopt this type of literature.
The following will be organized : Reading Clubs for children aged 6-10 and their parents, Children/Parents Workshops for parents and children aged 3-5, Teachers Workshop, Animated Readings for children aged 3-10, parents and teachers and Themed Events (1event for adults and 1 for children in each country) to distribute books contained in the traveling collections. The events will be filled with an informal approach that will make the audience an active actor (not just spectators) in each activity.
- Publishers will be provided with comprehensive information on quality books that have not yet been translated but which could be of great interest to potential buyers/readers at a national level.
