Transitions 8 Programme announced

By John Freeman on October 10, 2018

The Centre for Contemporary Literature has announced the programme for Transitions 8, their eighth symposium dedicated to comics and graphic narrative.

Taking place next month, speakers include Barbara Chamberlin, Corinna Lenhardt and Nicola Streeten, with the free event including a round table chaired by Sarah Lightman.

Dr. Maggie Gray, author of Alan Moore, Out from the Underground: Cartooning, Performance and Dissent is this year’s keynote speaker.

Transitions was originally conceived and launched by Tony Venezia in 2010, while writing his PhD at Birkbeck. The symposium is organised with support from the Centre for Contemporary Literature and the Department of English and Humanities.

Since 2010, Transitions has become an important fixture in the landscape of UK comics studies, and increasingly also attracts participants from further afield. Its aim has been to maintain the spirit of inclusivity and support for emerging research that informed the original ethos of this event.

After a brief absence in 2017, the event returns run by Hallvard Haug (Birkbeck), Nina Mickwitz (University of the Arts London) and John Miers (Kingston).

This event is free of charge and open to all, but in order to gauge numbers the team ask that you register your attendance in advance, using this link below at EventBrite.

• Transitions 8 Saturday 10th November 2018, Main Building, Malet Street, Birkbeck, University of London | Event Programme Details | Book via Eventbrite

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.