Age is a complex phenomenon. Think about the following questions for a moment: How old are you? And how old do you feel? How old do other people think you are? And how do you and others know these things?

Some of those insights may hearken back to the books you read as a young person, as they played a part in shaping your identity. So how is age constructed in children’s books? In this podcast, Emma-Louise Silva (UAntwerpen) introduces you to researchers who (while admitting they don’t feel their age at all!) are trying to find out what children’s books reveal about age. To do so, the team is researching 800 children’s books from the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands. Whether you are a 70-year-old teenage dirtbag, or a 7-year-old sprinter who thinks that old people are slowpokes, this podcast is for you!

The ‘Constructing Age for Young Readers’ project is led by Vanessa Joosen at the University of Antwerp, and funded by the European Research Council.

If you want to find out more, visit our website: http://www.cafyr.uantwerpen.be

This podcast was recorded, edited, and produced by Emma-Louise Silva. Coaching by Tinne Claes and Joris Van Damme (SciMingo). Mixing by Joris Van Damme.