In 1926, A. A. Milne published Winnie-the-Pooh, a work that quickly won over readers of different ages and became one of the great classics of English-language children’s literature. Over the course of a century, the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Christopher Robin, and the other characters of the Hundred Acre Wood have transcended linguistic, cultural, and media boundaries, giving rise to numerous translations, adaptations, and reinterpretations.
Over the past century, the world of Winnie-the-Pooh has become a global phenomenon, extending across literature, film, television, and illustration, as well as philosophy, psychology, education, popular culture, and translation. Its successive adaptations (particularly those produced by Disney) have contributed to transforming the imaginary world created by Milne, raising questions concerning adaptation and the international circulation of his texts.
In the year marking the centenary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, this conference aims to bring together researchers interested in the universe of A. A. Milne, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches from literary studies, cultural studies, translation studies, childhood studies and children’s literature, book history, media studies, and other fields of research.
Given the place of this initiative within CETAPS’s Anglo-Portuguese Research Area, proposals examining the intersections between the world of Winnie-the-Pooh and Portuguese and Lusophone contexts are particularly welcome.
As part of the collaboration between CETAPS and Cinemateca Júnior, the conference will also include a film screening dedicated to Winnie the Pooh (2011), directed by Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall. It will take place on the 12th of December at 3:00 p.m. and will include a brief introduction to the film, followed by a screening. This activity, which is open to the public, aims to broaden reflection on the character and its universe, while also providing an opportunity for younger audiences to engage with it.
Proposals are invited on the following topics, among others:
- Anglo-Portuguese relations and the reception of Winnie-the-Pooh in Portugal and the Lusophone world
- Translations of Winnie-the-Pooh
- The Hundred Acre Wood as a literary and imaginary space
- The illustrations of E. H. Shepard
- Adaptation and transmediality: Winnie-the-Pooh in film, television, theatre, animation, comics, audiobooks, and other digital formats
- Disney and other adaptations and appropriations of the Winnie-the-Pooh universe
- The afterlives of Winnie-the-Pooh (parody, pastiche, recreations, and appropriations in popular culture)
- Publishing history and material culture (covers, typography, paratexts, the book as object, merchandising, and collecting)
- Winnie-the-Pooh in the public domain and its cultural and creative consequences
- Philosophy, ethics, and spirituality in Winnie-the-Pooh
- Literature, memory, and nostalgia
- Ecocriticism, nature, and landscape
- Gender, identity, and community
- Postcolonial and transcultural perspectives
- Digital humanities and archives
The conference welcomes proposals for 20-minute papers, in Portuguese or English. Proposals should be sent to winniethepoohturns100@gmail.com, and should include:
- the title of the paper;
- an abstract (200–250 words);
- a brief biographical note (up to 150 words).
Proposal submission deadline: 30 October 2026
Notification of acceptance by: 8 November 2026
Registration period: 9-20 November 2026
All delegates are responsible for their own travel arrangements and accommodation.