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