Fairytale Geographies: Folklore, Setting, and the Supernatural
04-07 October 2027, Odense, Kerteminde, & Copenhagen, Denmark
Theme
Folktales and fairytales (broadly defined) are often studied in terms of their plots, motifs, themes, characters, and social meanings. Less attention is paid to the settings in which they occur. Yet setting is not a passive backdrop in traditional oral and literary written narratives. It is a dynamic force that shapes character, drives plot, and bridges the gap between the mundane and the miraculous.
From the depths of the Central European forests, to the bottom of the sea; from the liminal spaces of bogs, crossroads, and seashores, to haunted mansions and gingerbread houses; from bustling city streets, to the mundanity of the farmhouse; from the lofty halls of Heaven to the gloom of the Underworld, the geography of the fairytale is always alive with meaning.
This conference explores how landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, and other geographies function within traditional narratives. Tradition is not something of the past; it exists in the present and influences the creation and recreation of fairytales and folktales today. The conference is thus not limited to discussions of narratives recorded or written by folklorists, authors, literati, or antiquarians in previous centuries. It also encompasses tales that proliferate as texts and videos across social media, internet streaming services, and in movie theatres as well as those that are continually reinvented by new authors for new audiences and published in traditional print media. Still-emergent forms such as serialised internet fiction and ultrashort video dramas represent frontiers of traditional narrative.
At this international academic workshop, we invite submissions to explore this neglected aspect of fairytales and folktales. The workshop takes place in the Danish city of Odense, birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, the world’s most celebrated fairytale author. 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.
Papers are sought concerning tales from around the world. The workshop is interdisciplinary but may be especially interesting for researchers from folklore studies, human geography, literature studies, history, and anthropology. Potential perspectives include:
- how settings afford or do not afford certain tale types and motifs
- how settings reflect or interact with cultural, social, economic, political, and environmental hopes and fears
- lost or understudied topographies of the past, real or imagined
- how specific historical events (extreme weather, epidemic, colonial incursions) altered the physical settings of classic tale types
- how classic illustrated print editions of other artworks of literary fairy tales contributed to the construction of stereotypical fairytale landscapes
- how tale settings establish (or break down) physical and moral boundaries between the domestic sphere and the wild
- similarities and differences between the settings of tales in oral, literary, and video forms and across different media
- comparative approaches across geographies (for example, the diverse realms of the dead that appear in the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, the Scottish Sir Orfeo, the Indian Maudgalyāyana, and the Chinese Mulian).
‘Fairytale Geographies’ 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 the companion workshop ‘Captivations: Animal geographies in literature, film, media, and culture‘, and delegates for both events will mix and be involved in the same activities..
Abstract submission
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
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
