Abstract

The idea that classic stories should be somehow made relevant to new generations of readers is not new; nor is it exclusive to the publishing industry. In scholarship about children’s literature, education and library journals, and even debates in parliament, the concern over what to do about ‘classic’ literature has long raged. It is a debate that pits notions of ‘cultural inheritance’ against notions of appropriate content, which those in favour of keeping classics in print and in wide circulation arguing that a good story should trump a few lapses into racist (or sexist, or homophobic, or ableist, or classist) stereotypes, especially because ‘people thought differently back then’. This lecture will examine the history of ‘classic’ children’s literature, from initial production to subsequent revisions, retellings, abridgements and reimaginings, as well as ideas about how to present and discuss the ‘classics’ with children.