2025 Conference cfp

25th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society/Europe:

Ageing, Intergenerational Relationships and Utopia
2-4 July 2025
Facultat de Filologia, Traducció i Comunicació.
Av. de Blasco Ibáñez, 32, València
Universitat de València (Spain)

Over the past couple of decades, scholars have explored representations of later life in literature and the media, and the results seem to point to an overall negative portrayal of this stage of life in a variety of western and non-western cultures. This, in turn, influences people’s expectations of and their behaviour towards this age group, feeding back this idea and limiting the emergence of alternative views. Isolation of the elderly not only affects those suffering it, but also impoverishes society as a whole, which loses the valuable contributions of those whose experience and knowledge can best guide us through challenging times.
The 25th Annual Conference of the Utopian Studies Society-Europe, to be held in València (Spain), offers a space that invites scholarly reflection into how utopianism and utopian/dystopian literature represent intergenerational bonds and the ageing process from a wide array of perspectives. We invite proposals for individual 20-minute papers, fully formed panel sessions with 3 or 4 speakers addressing a shared topic, and workshops or roundtables. We particularly encourage contributions on the following topics:

Representation of age and ageing in utopian literature
Intergenerational relationships in utopian and dystopian fiction
Ageing and gender in utopian literature
Ageing, intergenerational bonds and LGBTIQ+ communities and relationships.
Intergenerational collaboration in social projects
Longevity and demo-utopias/dystopias
Culture matters: challenging ageism in utopian literatures
Intergenerational relationships in intentional communities

In the spirit of the society, we also welcome contributions on other topics related to utopianism.

LANGUAGE: the main language of the conference is English, but we welcome proposals in Valencian/Catalan and Spanish (to ensure viability, we encourage fully formed panel proposals, as there can be only one language per panel).

CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Prof. Dr. Vita Fortunati (University of Bologna)
Prof. Dr. Barnita Bagchi (University of Amsterdam)
Prof. Dr. Miguel Martínez López (University of València)

PROPOSALS
Proposals must be submitted via the conference website, which will be available soon.
For individual 20-minute presentations, please submit a 300-400-word abstract, including a title and 3-5 keywords, together with a short bio (max. 100 words) and a short statement on whether or not you would be willing to chair a session.

PANELS (min. 3, max. 4 participants): the chair should submit a 400-word abstract for the panel, accompanied by the title of the panel, as well as the titles of each individual paper, and three keywords for the panel. The names of all the panel presenters, their academic affiliations, email addresses, and short biographies (maximum 100 words); and the name and affiliation of the panel chair and respondent (if any) should also be included in the list. If you want us to assign a chair for your panel session, please indicate this for us. If applicable, please also include any access or scheduling requirements in your submission.

Important dates
Abstract submission deadline: 6 Jan 2025
Confirmation of acceptance: 31st January 2025.
Registration deadline: 1st April 2025.

FEES
The conference fee is 140€ and includes coffee breaks (2/day) and lunches. It does not include the (mandatory) 20€ society membership fee. Fees are non-refundable.
Online participants: 30€
ECR: Early career researchers (PhD + 5years) are eligible for a reduced fee (100€). The society also offers a limited number of bursaries of 150€ plus conference fee for ECR and pensioners.
Visa: If you need an invitation letter to apply for a visa, please remember to indicate it in the registration form. Early registration is encouraged to ensure your visa is ready in time for the conference.
Conference dinner: The conference dinner is an optional activity. If you are interested in attending the conference dinner, please bear in mind that there is limited capacity, so we encourage early registration.

Main organiser: Dr. Andrea Burgos Mascarell (University of València)

Organising committee:
Dr. Dina Pedro Mustieles (University of València)
Dr. Laura Miñano Mañero (University of València)
Dr. Rocío Riestra Camacho (University of Oviedo)
Dr. Elia Saneleuterio (University of València)
Dr. Teresa Fernández Ulloa (California State University, Bakersfield
Dr. José Coloma Maestre (Universitat de València)
Dr. María Ángeles Chavarría Aznar (European University of Valencia)

Scientific committee:
Dr. Gregory Claeys, Royal Holloway University of London
Dr. Zsolt Czigányik, Democracy Institute, CEU
Dr. Iva Dimovska, Democracy Institute, CEU
Dr. Juan Pro, CSIC
Dr. Susana Layh, University of Augsburg
Dr. Emrah Atasoy, University of Warwick
Dr. Justyna Galant, University of Gdansk
Dr. Amparo Rodrigo Mateu, Instituto Cervantes Albuquerque, USA
Dr. Catalina Millán Scheiding, Berklee College of Music