500 Years after Utopia:

A Symposium





Trent University

Saturday, 16 April 2016







Thomas More’s Utopia, published in 1516, was both a stunning condemnation of his contemporary English society and a whimsical and speculative foray into imagining a better social-political order. Today many academic and grassroots organizations and societies carry the torch that More lit in the sixteenth century. This symposium seeks to add fuel to that fire!



We invite scholars to join us to celebrate the 500th anniversary of this monumental text in global history. Scholars are invited to submit proposals to present research that speaks to any area of utopian studies, including dystopia. It is hoped that beyond being a celebration and commemoration of one of the greatest works in literary, social, political, and economic history, this symposium will give scholars and attendees an opportunity to engage with the world of utopian scholarship and to entertain ideas and debates about what it means to imagine new and better worlds.



Presentations are welcome in any field of scholarship. Fields may include, but are not limited to: literary studies, sociology, politics, sex and gender studies, economics, architecture, cinema and film studies, new media and technology, urban planning, Canadian studies, Indigenous and First Nations studies, psychology, science and medicine, war and conflict, peace studies, and religious studies.



Special guest: Peter Fitting, Emeritus, Department of French, University of Toronto, past chair of the Society for Utopian Studies



The deadline for submission of proposals for 20-minute presentations is February 1, 2016. Proposals and inquiries should be e-mailed to cameronaellis@trentu.ca.



Co-organized by Cameron Ellis (PhD, Cultural Studies Program) and Veronica Hollinger (Emerita, Cultural Studies Department) under the auspices of Science Fiction Studies, the Cultural Studies PhD Program, and the Theory, Culture and Politics MA Program.