The Century of Ellen Key – Literature and Legacy
27. March 2026. - 28. March 2026.
ELTE TÓK, Budapest, 1126, Kiss János altábornagy utca 40.
2026. March 27. - 2026. March 28.
ELTE TÓK, Budapest, 1126, Kiss János altábornagy utca 40.
CALL FOR PAPERS
International multidisciplinary conference
The Century of Ellen Key — Literature and Legacy
March 27-28, 2026
As part of the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Ellen Key’s death in 1926, Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Primary and Pre-School Education and the Ellen Key International Research Netwok (EKIR) invites you to the second of three international conferences which are being organized across Europe: in Budapest in March 2026 (The first in Stockholm in October 2025 and the third in Bologna in October 2026).
Ellen Key’s (1849–1926) progressive views on education, women’s rights and cultural reform left a lasting impact on the twentieth century. Her pioneering work shaped feminism, child-centered education,and social reform. A leading voice of the Modern Breakthrough, she championed individuality, empathy, and the transformative power of art, love, spirituality, and education. In Barnabalken (The Child’s Code) in 1910, Ellen Key presented a visionary framework for children’s rights and well-being. She also advocated for women’s education and civil rights while affirming the societal value of motherhood. Ellen Key’s humanistic thoughts on upbringing, individualism, and voluntary obedience continue to be relevant and widely discussed today. The conference aims to highlight the enduring impact of this multifaceted legacy. Accordingly, the sections of the multidisciplinary conference will include the following themes:
- women’s literature and representations of women in literature
- feminism
- life philosophy and children’s education
- children’s culture and children’s rights
- children’s literature and picturebooks
- Hungary at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries (as Ellen Key visited Budapest in 1905).
Keynote Speakers
Professor Claudia Lindén, Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden
Professor Elina Druker, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Professor Tiina Kinnunen, University of Oulu, Finland
Hedda Jansson, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Margareta Aspán, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
The working language of the conference is English; nevertheless, we also expect Hungarian language papers for the section on Hungary at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Papers in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, or German are also welcome, but we ask that an English summary be included for the presentation. Every talk is to be 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute-long debate.
Submissions including the title of the proposed paper, an abstract of maximum 300 words and a short biography of the author of not more than 100 words should be sent to by November 30, 2025.
The deadline for applications is December 15, 2025.
The organizing committee of the conference will make a decision about incoming abstracts after a peer review process. We also encourage those PhD and MA students to apply whose scientific interests as emerging scholars are relevant to the conference.
The organizing committee also plans to publish a selection of the talks given. The deadline for submitting the final papers for publication is June 1, 2026. The papers are subject to a second round of proofreading before being accepted for the online edition.
The venue of the conference is the ELTE TÓK building (1126 Budapest, Kiss János altábornagy utca 40).
The organizers of the conference use the following e-mail address:
ellenkey.budapest2026@tok.elte.hu
Organizing Committee
Dr. habil Éva Márkus, Dean (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Valéria Árva, Associate Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Gizella Baloghné Nagy, Assistant Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Maya Lo Bello, Assistant Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Andrea Ágnes Poros, Assistant Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Academic Committee of the Conference
Chair of the Academic Committe:
Dr. András Masát, professor emeritus (ELTE BTK)
Members:
Dr. Veronika Aggné Pirka, Assistant Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Magdolna Gilányi, Assistant Professor ( ELTE TÓK)
Dr. habil Márton Hoványi, Associate Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Ágnes Isztrayné Teplán, Assistant Professor 8ELTE BTK)
Dr. Maya Lo Bello, Assistant Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Hajnalka Merényi, Assistant Professor (ELTE TÓK)
Dr. Anita Soós, Assistant Professor (ELTE BTK)
Call for Papers (pdf)