Research Seminar - Imagined pasts/imagined futures Seminar series - Imagined Pasts (Kim Wilkins) - Imagined Futures (Helen Marshall)

Imagined pasts/imagined futures  Seminar series - Imagined Pasts (Kim Wilkins) - Imagined Futures (Helen Marshall)

Presented by: Prof Kim Wilkins and A/Prof Helen Marshall

Date: Friday 16 October 2026
Time: 12-1pm
Location: Online via Zoom and in-person at the SCA Writer's Studio (Level 6, Michie Building)

Abstract

Every era tells stories about the times it isn't living in, through reconstructing the past and  rehearsing the future. Those stories perform cultural work by shaping what we remember, what we hope for, and what we think is possible. In this joint session, the authors of Story Thinking and the Real-World Applications of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writing explore what's at stake in that work.

Kim Wilkins turns to the past, considering how historical and fantasy fiction take on the responsibilities of reconstruction and invention. What does it mean to represent a world that's gone, and what does that representation do for contemporary audiences.

Helen Marshall turns to the future, asking what fiction can offer a growing field of futures studies that is trying to help governments, industry, and civil society imagine, and prepare for, what's ahead.

Bios

Dr Helen Marshall is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing. She has won the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award and the Shirley Jackson Award for her short fiction. Her debut novel The Migration was named one of The Guardian's top science fiction books of the year. Her second novel, The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl who Loved Death, was released in 2025 and shortlisted for the Sunburst Award.

Professor Kim Wilkins is Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She has published more than 30 historical and fantasy novels, and is translated into more than 20 languages. Her scholarly research centres on publishing communities and popular genres.