Young Scholars: Vision of the Future in the Anglophone World and Türkiye

Yunus Emre Institute London is delighted to announce its upcoming Young Scholar Seminar Series talk: “Visions of the Future: Utopian and Dystopian Narratives in the Anglophone World and Türkiye ,” by Dr Emrah Atasoy. The talk will take place on Thursday June 20, 2024 at 7 pm UK Time.

Visions of the Future: Utopian and Dystopian Narratives in the Anglophone World and Türkiye 

This presentation critically examines utopian and dystopian narratives within Anglophone and Turkish contexts, focusing on their depiction in literature and film. Through a nuanced historical and literary analysis, it highlights distinctive worldbuilding techniques that characterise these narratives in each cultural setting. The discussion delves into selected works, showcasing the increasing academic interest in these genres and addressing pivotal themes such as societal structures, technological influence, and environmental challenges. Comparative analysis reveals both unique and shared concerns that echo global societal anxieties and aspirations. Ultimately, this talk underscores the significant impact of speculative narratives, reflecting contemporary issues and envisaging future possibilities.

Emrah Atasoy, an Associate Professor of English, is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (EUTOPIA-SIF COFUND) of the Institute of Advanced Study and the Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick. Dr Atasoy has been a visiting researcher at Harvard University, Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona, the University of Oxford, and Penn State University. He received his PhD from Hacettepe University’s Department of English Language and Literature in 2019. He is the author of Epistemological Warfare and Hope in Critical Dystopia (Nobel 2021). His work appeared in journals such as Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, Studies in the Novel, Utopian Studies, Science Fiction Studies, Librosdelacorte.es, and SFRA Review. He contributed chapters to The Postworld In-Between Utopia and Dystopia (Routledge 2021) and Speculations of War (McFarland 2021). He recently co-edited the forthcoming volume Utopian and Dystopian Explorations of Pandemics and Ecological Breakdown (Routledge 2024) and the critical forum “Cultural Encounters and Textual Speculations in the Mediterranean,” Utopian Studies (2024).

Date: Thursday 20th June 2024
Time: 7 pm
Venue: Yunus Emre Institute London, 10 Maple Street, London, W1T 5HA

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship Programme and funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 945380. This talk reflects only the author’s view and the Research Executive Agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Traditional Turkish Refreshments will be served.

Admission is FREE but registration*** is ESSENTIAL via Eventbrite.

This talk forms part of the Young Scholar Seminar Series organised by Yunus Emre Institute in London.