Captivations: Animal Geographies in Literature, Film, Media, and Culture
04-07 October 2027, Odense, Kerteminde, & Copenhagen, Denmark
Theme
How do the physical and conceptual spaces we construct for animals shape the boundaries of human identity, science, and culture? While cultural narratives frequently map human journeys across untamed landscapes, the containment, categorisation, and display of animal life—in literature, folklore, zoos, maps, film, cat cafés, and other spaces of representation—reveal a complex geography of cross-species encounter.
This interdisciplinary academic workshop investigates the symbolic, historical, and material enclosures that define human-animal relationships. We invite scholars to explore how humans have mapped, captured, and recontextualised the natural world, analysing the structures—mental, material, architectural, conceptual—that position animals as threats, spectacles, miracles, masters, companions, and dependents. How are animals kept alien or made familiar in works of literature and film? What roles do animals play in the construction of cultural narratives concerning the place of humanity in the world and the fate of humanity in the future? How are certain animals used as symbolic of nature or the wider environment (the adorable but vulnerable panda, the noble polar bear in a melting world, the insatiably inhuman great white shark)? How are animals alternately domesticated or made wild by cultural practices such as taxidermy, museum and zoo display, and the production of children’s toys? The workshop is interdisciplinary but may be especially interesting for researchers from literature studies, folklore studies, human geography, the environmental humanities, history, film studies, and anthropology.
During the workshop, we will visit and explore a range of relevant and evocative sites in the historic city of Odense, the charming seaside village of Kerteminde, and Copenhagen, including the Hans Christian Andersen House and Childhood Home, Odense Zoo, the Johannes Larsen Museum, and Tivoli Gardens.
‘Captivations’ is an academic workshop and gathering that seeks to foster deep, interpersonal scholarly exchange through walks, discussions, and experiences that are strongly situated in local landscapes, seascapes, and townscapes. The event is open to all interested participants but is focused on scholars who have submitted draft academic research papers prior to the event (deadline 15 September). These draft papers will be shared with and discussed among all delegates, with the aim of collaborative learning in preparation for final paper submission to the peer reviewed, non-fee charging open access journal Folk, Knowledge, Place in November 2027.
The event is held in tandem with ‘Fairytale Geographies: Folklore, Setting, and the Supernatural’, and delegates for both events will mix and be involved in the same activities.
Abstract submission and publication
If you wish to participate in the workshop as an author, please submit your abstract proposal here: https://islanddynamics.org/abstractsubmission/. After submission, your proposal will be reviewed, and the organisers will respond with a decision as soon as possible. The earlier you submit your proposal, the earlier you will receive the decision. The first deadline for abstracts is 28 February 2027 (permitting early registration). Those delegates whose abstracts have been accepted for the workshop will be asked to submit written draft articles by 15 September 2027 at the latest. Although publication in the journal Folk, Knowledge, Place is subject to peer review, the workshop will establish the basis for a special section of the journal on the workshop theme, to which delegates will be invited to submit papers.
Schedule
3 October: Arrival in Odense
4 October: Exploring Odense’s historic centre, including visits to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum and Hans Christian Andersen’s Childhood Home.
5 October: Visiting Odense Zoo.
6 October: Exploring the village of Kerteminde, including visit to the Johannes Larsen Museum.
7 October: Explore fairytale Copenhagen, including visit to Tivoli Gardens.
Throughout 4-6 October, time will be set aside for group discussions of submitting articles and for personal writing and contemplation. Although dinners are not included in the registration fee, the organisers will set up group meals for interested delegates.
Hans Christian Andersen’s House – Visit Odense, Jonas Legarth
Conference registration
In order to make the workshop affordable to as many people as possible, we have created two registration packages:
Basic registration: Includes all lunches, transport, and site admissions in Odense and Kerteminde from the morning of 4 October through the evening of 6 October. Early registration fee: 600 Singapore Dollars.
Full registration: Includes all lunches, transport, and site admissions in Odense, Kerteminde, and Copenhagen from the morning of 4 October through the evening of 7 October. Early registration fee: 800 Singapore Dollars.
Registration does not include breakfasts, dinners, or accommodation. The deadline for early registration form is 31 March 2027, after which fees on both registration categories will rise by 250 Singapore dollars. The final deadline for registration is 30 June 2027. To register, fill out the registration form here: https://islanddynamics.org/conferences/registration.
Odense Zoo, Ard Jongsma / stillwords.com
Travel and accommodation
The most convenient way of reaching Odense is to fly into Copenhagen or Billund in Denmark and then take the high-speed train. There are numerous hotels in Odense, but we recommend that delegates stay near Odense Station, from which it is a short walk to both the old medieval centre and train/bus connections. Milling Hotel Plaza is an option for those seeking a standard hotel experience, while Cabinn Odense offers tiny, basic rooms at a low price. For those following the conference to Copenhagen, we recommend a hotel near Tivoli Gardens and the Central station, such as ProfilHotels Copenhagen Plaza or the basic option of Cabinn City. The workshop organisers can provide an invitation letter to be used for visa applications but can only do so after the registration fee has been paid.
Co-convenors: Adam Grydehøj (School of Foreign Languages, South China University of Technology) & Ping Su (School of Foreign Languages, South China University of Technology)
Organisers: Island Dynamics & School of Foreign Languages, South China University of Technology
