Wide-ranging and highly multidisciplinary set of topics in 29 May symposium “The City: Myth and Materiality“, hosted at the Institute of Historical Research.

The symposium is organised by the Association for Literary Urban Studies (ALUS), in collaboration with the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), University of London, with the support of the Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS).

Several of the people present have been part of the broader research network connected with the Association for Literary Urban Studies, and this symposium is also a reunion with many highly regarded colleagues I’ve worked with before – a.o. Markku Salmela, Giada Peterle, Richard Dennis, Peter Jones, Jason Finch, Elle-Mari Talivee, and Meeria Vesala, among others – and many new acquaintances.

My own presentation looks at the metaphor of the 6th borough in Vision 2020 and Foer’s text “the 6th borough”.

Thanks to all participants for talks, comments, discussions – and looking forward to continue developing these themes together within literary urban studies, and across disciplines (geography, urban history, literary studies).