49th Annual Conference

November 12–14, 2026
Embassy Suites Portland Downtown

319 SW Pine St
Portland, Oregon, USA

Interconnections between Utopia and Dystopia in Times of Crisis

A common assertion in utopian studies recognizes the dialectical relationship between utopia and dystopia. As several people have observed, every utopia contains elements of dystopia, and every dystopia contains the seeds of utopia: visions of how things might be otherwise intertwined with the realities of how things could be worse.

In times of crisis—marked by war, authoritarianism, deepening inequalities, ecological collapse, and widespread social upheaval—the relationship between utopia and dystopia becomes especially urgent. Rather than imagining utopia as an escapist ideal or perfect destination, this conference explores utopia as a horizon: a framework for critical thought, collective action, and envisioning alternatives to present conditions.

The 2026 meeting of the Society for Utopian Studies invites scholars, artists, activists, and practitioners from diverse fields to reflect on the interconnections between utopian and dystopian thought, representation, and practice. Contributions from any academic discipline as well as creative, activist, and community-based perspectives are welcome.

Full Call for Papers

Hotel Information

The conference will be taking place at the Embassy Suites Portland Downtown. We have reserved a block of rooms at a reduced rate for conference attendees.

Please click on the following link to make reservations at the conference hotel at the discounted rates: Embassy Suites Portland Downtown. If possible, we highly encourage attendees to stay at the conference hotel to ensure the Society is able to meet the minimum number of rooms stipulated in the contract.

Note that the cutoff date for reservations with this rate is October 21, 2026.

Updates

University of Oregon Special Collections and University Archives

For those who would like to access any of the collections at the University of Oregon in Eugene, note that the hours are Mondays-Fridays, 10:00AM – 4:00 PM. In addition to transportation from Portland to Eugene, you will need to arrange for a visit in advance directly with the library (click on link for more information).

Call for Papers - Deadline July 15, 2026

Individual paper/poster/other submission Pre-formed full session submission Conference Theme A common assertion in utopian studies and beyond recognizes the dialectics of utopia and dystopia. As Ursula K. Le Guin put it (expressing a widely held sentiment), if “[e]very eutopia contains a dystopia, every dystopia contains a eutopia”*: a dream of how things could be, combined with the realities of how things could be worse (or even how they are). Scholarship on the critical uto

2026 Conference Keynote Speakers

Keynote Speakers Friday, November 13, 2026, 6:30-8:00 PM Alex Zamalin (Professor of Africana Studies and Political Science and chair of Africana Studies, Rutgers University—New Brunswick) is the author of numerous books including Black Utopia: The History of an Idea from Black Nationalism to Afrofuturism (Columbia University Press, 2019) which was named a 2020 Choice Outstanding Title by the American Library Association, his timely Antiracism: An Introduction (NYU Press, 2019

Society for Utopian Studies