Ecofeminism and children's literature: a biopoetic approach to cultivating sustainable futures through narrative

Abstract

Children's literature is one of the most meaningful spaces to come into operative contact with the main constructs that structure life. In fact, recent research directions that welcome the perspective of the inescapable link between literature and bíos allow us to consider immersion in stories not only as an experience of "liberated embodied simulation" (Gallese) of reality, but also as a "biopoetic" experiment in the interconnection between biological evolution and cultural constructs (Hustvedt, Comet). Starting from such investigative positions, the essay aims to explore the contribution of ecofeminism with a view to a possible reinterpretation of the narratives and symbolisms prevalent in children's books, the deconstruction of dominant stereotypes, and the promotion of processes that can promote an ethics of responsibility and ecological and social justice, thus contributing to the formation of an imaginary that can sustain an inclusive and regenerative future.