First held in 2011, CRSF is an annual conference hosted by the University of Liverpool designed to promote the research of speculative fictions, media and technologies (including but not limited to science fiction, fantasy and horror).
For more information regarding past events (before 2020) check out our ‘The Archive Page’ or our old platform: https://currentresearchinspeculativefiction.blogspot.com/p/crsf-2016.html
18th June 2011, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Professor Adam Roberts (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Mr Andy Sawyer (Science Fiction Foundation Collection Librarian; Director of MA in Science Fiction Studies, University of Liverpool).
18th June 2012, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Professor David Seed (University of Liverpool) and Professor Fred Botting (Kingston University London).
ONCE AGAIN WE RECEIVED PAPERS AND DELEGATES WHO WERE OPEN, FRIENDLY, ENGAGING AND CONSTRUCTIVE. HERE’S HOW LEIMAR GARCIA-SIINO, ONE OF THE DELEGATES, DESCRIBED IT:
‘The conference was superb, balancing nerd-excitement and the thrill of academic SF perfectly.’
17th June 2013, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Pat Cadigan (Double Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author) and Dr. Peter Wright (Edge Hill University).
‘We heard everything from zombies to umwelts, Doctor Who to the Holocaust, Final Fantasy to the Mars Trilogy, William Gibson, Margaret Atwood, and so much more besides.’
20th June 2014, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Dr. Mark Bould (University of the West of England) and Prof. Roger Luckhurst (Birkbeck University London).
8th June 2015, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Dr. Andrew M. Butler (Canterbury Christ Church University) and Dr. Sarah Dillon (University of Cambridge).
2016, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Dr Caroline Edwards (Birkbeck, University of London) and Dr Patricia Wheeler (University of Hertfordshire).
9th June 2017, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Dr Bernice Murphy (Trinity College Dublin) and Dr Robert Maslen (University of Glasgow).
29th June 2018, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Tricia Sullivan (Arthur C. Clarke Award winning author) and Dr Mark Bould (UWE Bristol).
6th June 2019, University of Liverpool
Keynote Lectures from: Dr Paul March-Russell (University of Kent) and Dr Nicole Devarenne (University of Dundee).
1st-2nd July 2021, University of Liverpool/Zoom
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic that forced us into lockdown in March 2020, we decided to post-pone CRSF 2020 to 2021. We chose to hold the CRSF2021 conference online to combat challenges caused by Covid-19.
Keynote Lectures from: Alex Goody (Oxford Brookes University) and Caroline Edwards (Birkbeck University).
30th June-1st July 2022, University of Liverpool/Zoom
Due to the SUCCESS of our Online 2021 conference, we decided to host CRSF2022 as a hybrid conference, including online attendees and papers, in-person attendees and papers, as well as pre-recorded video papers as an option for those with schedule conflicts, illness or time-difference issues. This was an amazing event, with accessibility options for all! With over 120 EventBrite tickets booked (over two days, online and in-person tickets) we hit a new record! Want to read more about CRSF 2022? Conference reports are available in Foundation Science Fiction Review, as well as on The Fantasy Hive.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN SPECULATIVE FICTION (CRSF) 30th June to 1st July – Conference Report by T.O.Munro
CRSF 2022 had the theme of ‘Communication’, and we heard fascinating keynotes from Dr Jalondra A. Davis and Dr. Christy Tidwell on our online platform. We hosted an in-person Workshop from Dr Phoenix Alexander and were delighted to welcome two author roundtables on Zoom. ‘Talking Animals,’ with Adam Roberts, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Gareth L. Powell and Laura Jean Mckay, as well as ‘Communicating Otherness,’ with Sue Burke, Chana Porter, Aliya Whitely and Vandana Singh.
KEYNOTES:
Dr. Christy Tidwell (South Dakota School of Mine & Technology) Dr. Jalondra A Davies (Writer and Scholar)
WORKSHOP: Sell Your Stories: Writing and Submitting SFF Short Fiction.
Dr Phoenix Alexander (University of Liverpool)
ONLINE ROUNDTABLES including special guests:
Gareth L Powell (2022 Stars and Bones, 2016 Embers of War)
Adrian Tchaikovsky (2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award Winner; Children of Time, Upcoming: Ogres, 2022)
Professor Adam Roberts (2012 BSFA Winner; Jack Glass. Recent: Purgatory Mount, 2021)
Laura Jean McKay (2021 Arthur C. Clarke Award Winner; The Animals in That Country 2020)
Sue Burke (SFFWorld: Best of the decade list 2011-2020; Semiosis 2018 and Interference 2019)
Vanada Singh (Philip K Dick Award Finalist: Ambiguity Machines and Other Stories 2018)
Aliya Whiteley (Arthur C Clark finalist: Loosening Skin 2018, The Beauty 2014, Skyward Inn 2021)
Chana Porter (Playwrite and Author: The Seep, Leap and the Net will Appear)
29th -30th June 2023, University of Liverpool/Zoom
For CRSF 2023 we had the theme of ‘Metamorphosis’ and had keynotes Dr Chris Pak and Roz Kaveney present in-person on different types of transformations in fiction and in real life. We had our first Creative Writing Open Mic which will continue this year. Our two roundtables saw us have one on academic publishing and another with authors including Ryka Aoki, E J Swift, Courttia Newland, and Paul McAuley.
KEYNOTES: Roz Kaveney and Dr Chris Pak
WORKSHOP: SFF Curation: What, Why and How? Kate Heffner and Cait Coker
ROUNDTABLE: Getting your academic work published. Guests: Dr Paul March-Russell, Andrew M. Butler, Charul Palmer-Patel and Jonathan Thornton.
AUTHOR ROUNDTABLE: Speculative Transformations. Special Guests:
E J Swift, Paul McAuley, Courttia Newland, Tlotlo Tsamaase and Ryka Aoki.
4th – 5th July 2024, University of Liverpool/Zoom
For CRSF 2024 our theme was ‘Growth’ and we had keynote speakers Lindz McLeod and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes present on their research and writing in light of ‘growth’. We held two workshops, one lead by Dr Rachel Handley on writing speculative flash fiction and another with Tom Dillon, the SF curator at the University of Liverpool, on ‘Blackholes in the Archive’. Our two roundtables; the academic roundtable and the author’s roundtable included speakers Jen Vennall, Dr Paul March-Russel, Jonathan Thornton, Matthew Munro, Oliver K. Langmead, Emily Tesh and Tlotlo Tsamaase.
Current Research in Speculative Fiction Conference 2026 