Writing Climate

Posted in Announcements Symposia

Lannan Symposium: March 25-27, 2025

The climate crisis is forcing humanity to ask itself uncomfortable questions: Where are we and where are we going? What can we do as individuals, as writers, activists, and scientists, to forestall and ameliorate the coming disasters? We are at a reckoning point, maybe even past it. What new ideas do we need to think about, what reappraisals? These times demand that we imagine a fundamental shift in thinking about human existence. Can literature play a role in helping that shift?

Hosted by the Lannan Center, the Earth Commons, Climate Rights International, and Georgetown Humanities Initiative, the symposium will explore the intersection of literature, science, and activism around climate change. We are inviting top practitioners in the field. This will be an opportunity to think together about new possibilities, and about each of our roles in building these possibilities.

Each of the three nights will center around a theme at the junction of climate and literature. The first night’s theme will be “Earth/Land,” the second “Climate Action,” and the third “The Future.”

All events are free and open to the public. For accessibility requests, please email: pg654@georgetown.edu.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH: EARTH/LAND
Location: TBA

6:00-6:30PM | A Performance by the LubDub Theatre Co.

7:00PM | Keynote discussion with Amitav Ghosh, moderated by Razia Iqbal.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH: CLIMATE ACTION
Location: Copley Formal Lounge

5:00-6:00PM | Panel on Indigenous Peoples and Land featuring Linnea Axelsson, dg nanouk okpik, and Billy-Ray Belcourt

6:00-7:00PM | Student Art Showcase

7:00-8:00PM | Keynote discussion with Kumi Naidoo, moderated by Brad Adams (Climate Rights International)

THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH: THE FUTURE
Location: Copley Formal Lounge

5:00-6:00PM | Conversation on Youth Activism with Luisa Neubauer

6:00-7:00PM | Panel on Climate Dispersal and Relocation, featuring Omar El Akkad and Claire Vaye Watkins, moderated by Somini Sengupta.

7:00-8:00PM | Closing keynote by Rebecca Solnit