In-Between. Intermedial understanding and analysis of children’s literature

Abstract

Interactions between image, written text and sound are especially prominent in children’s literature, just as children’s literature tends to be embodied in a variety of media. Accordingly, it is highly relevant to use theories of intermediality that focus on relations and interactions between different forms of expression and media, and theories focusing on the relations and interactions between texts and readers that are prompted by these conditions. However, intermedial theories have been only sparingly applied in research into children’s literature and even less as an analysis strategy. Still, in the age of digitalization the intermedial understanding and analysis of children’s literature deserve greater attention because digital literary texts for children often employ a combination of writing, pictures and sound involving film, animation and interactivity. This article aims to present an understanding of children’s literature from the perspective of intermedial theory and method, and to offer a model for intermedial analysis. Drawing on Elleström’s theory of intermediality combined with concepts relating to literary materiality and videogames, the model focuses on four intermedial and cross-aesthetic analytical levels: material, sensory, spatio-temporal and semiotic. The model will be exemplified and employed in an intermedial analysis of the born digital story NORD by Hübbe, Meisler and Olsen (2018). NORD is a coming-of-age story in the fantasy genre, as well as being a contribution to the eco-critical tradition. This will be exemplified in the article, although the main focus will be on the way NORD is positioned intermedially in-between forms of expression, content and media.

Keywords

• Intermediality
• materiality
• digital literature for children
• creation of meaning
• touch interaction
• interface