1 research outputs found
Disrupting aetonormativity : involving children in the writing of literature for publication
Literary criticism of childrenâs literature asserts a one-directional view of power, with the adult writer constructing the child reader. Using âaetonormativityââ adult perceptions of normal patterning childrenâs literature â this paper explores what happens to aetonormativity when children co-construct publishable fiction (Nikolajeva 2010). We analyse drama and creative writing workshops run with 8 to 11-year-old children by Story Makers Press, a University-based publishing company representing marginalised childrenâs voices by involving them in writing processes. Our analysis shows how whilst we were interested in developing the story of the protagonist, the children drew upon their âfunds of knowledgeâ (Moll 1992) to develop a gaming narrative. The effect was twofold: we constructed a âhybridâ text (Bakhtin 1986) which, unlike GameLit, explores the relationship between the protagonist and gaming; and a discourse counter to negative adult portrayals of gaming. As the children became invested in the fiction, they became effective editors and revisions were taken on board by the editorial team. The paper concludes that involving children in writing childrenâs literature can result in texts which disrupt aetonormativity by representing lived experiences. The paper also acknowledges that that further research is needed into how other children read and respond to texts co-constructed with children