Imaginaries of the Future City: Envisioning Climate Change and Technological Cityscapes Through Contemporary Speculative Fiction

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Imaginaries of the Future City: Envisioning Climate Change and Technological Cityscapes Through Contemporary Speculative Fiction
This interdisciplinary international network project brings together scholars from literary studies, environmental studies and psychology, to explore the following question: 'How does narrative fiction function as an integrating discourse in constructing and shaping (collective) imaginations of a safe future city?'

The aim of the project is to further constitute a unique collaboration between these diverse fields of study that, despite their different approaches, are connected in their specific focus on the role of narratives in constructing (collective) imaginations of a safe urban environment.

Activities

Chapter by Marieke Winkler & Marjolein van Herten, 'Imaginaries of the Future City. Extrapolating Climate Change and Technological Cityscapes through Dutch Literary Fiction (2015-2021)', in: Michael G. Kelly & Mariano Praz (eds.), Utopia, Equity and Ideology in Urban Texts. Fair and Unfair Cities. Literary Urban Series. Palgrave MacMillan (2023). p.157-174.

Special issue 'Narratives & Climate Change' (Winter 2022) with the peer-reviewed, open access, international journal Interférences littéraires/Literaire interferenties. Edited by Marjolein van Herten, Jilt Jorritsma & Marieke Winkler.

Mini-symposium on Climate fiction, with lectures by Marjolein van Herten and Marieke Winkler and a poetry performance by Moya De Feyter. Organized by the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde ZUID, 28 May 2022 (Roermond, the Netherlands).

Public event 'Orde en verwarring in de stad', session on 'De toekomstige stad. Veiligheid in tijden van opwarming', 22 October 2020 (Utrecht, the Netherlands).

International, online workshop ‘Narratives & Climate Change’, 25-26 June 2020.

Kick-off meeting, 29 October 2019 (Utrecht, the Netherlands).

If you have any questions on our activities or want to explore the possibilities for collaboration, contact us via climatenarratives@ou.nl.

Project coordination

Dr. Marjolein van Herten, marjolein.vanherten@ou.nl
Dr. Marieke Winkler, marieke.winkler@ou.nl

Team members

Prof. Dr. Brigitte Adriaensen
Dr. ir. Raoul Beunen
Prof. Dr. Stefan Dekker (Utrecht University)
Dr. Andries Hof (Utrecht University)
Prof. Dr. Dave Huitema
Jilt Jorritsma, MA
Prof. Dr. Lilian Lechner
Prof. Dr. Paquita Pérez Salgado