Join the virtual Douglas Coupland conference

Northumbria University has collaborated with two other universities to organise a free online conference dedicated to the Canadian writer and artist, Douglas Coupland, to mark the 30th Anniversary of his first novel, GenerationX: Tales for an Accelerated Culture.

The conference, Douglas Coupland and the Art of the‘Extreme Present’, has been co-organised by Dr Diletta De Cristofaro from Northumbria University, Dr Andrew Tate from Lancaster University and Dr Mary McCampbell from Lee University in Tennessee, in the United States.

It will explore Douglas Coupland’s engagement with contemporary life across writings and visual culture and celebrate the success of Generation X, which went on to become a cult novel and a literary classic, addressing issues central to today’s world.

The conference will feature a mix of live and pre-recorded content, including an exclusive interview with Douglas Coupland, who will answer viewers’ questions from around the world; an interview with contemporary artist, writer, and speaker Makoto Fujimura; a writers’ panel discussion on the author’s work; and three keynote addresses.

Dr Diletta De Cristofaro, Research Fellow in the Department of Humanities at Northumbria University and co-organiser of the event, said: "I'm delighted to host with Dr Mary McCampbell and Dr Andrew Tate the first international conference devoted to the work of Douglas Coupland.

“His fiction, non-fiction, and visual art help us understand the contemporary moment, and I'm really looking forward to what promises to be two days of rich and insightful conversations.

“If you're a fan of Coupland's work, do join us. We have planned a range of diverse content and there should be something for everybody."

Generation X is a story about a group of youths born in the 1960s who are dissatisfied with society’s expectations. The group move away in search of new beginnings and work no-future ‘McJobs’ to survive, eventually finding comfort in each other’s company. Read more about the novel in this article written for The Conversation by Dr Diletta De Cristofaro.

The conference will be held on Zoom across two days, Friday 23 April from 2.00pm to 9.40pm and Saturday 24 April from 2.45pm to 9.30pm. There are a limited number of tickets remaining, so sign up to the conference free today to secure your place or to be added to the waiting list.

Follow the conference’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for further updates.

Visit the conference website for more information or to view the pre-recorded content.