Read about
Dr Diletta
De Cristofaro
I am a scholar, based between Northumbria University in the UK and Politecnico di Milano in Italy, and a culture writer. I research and write about contemporary literature and culture. I am particularly interested in narratives of crises and in what these narratives tell us about our society, our sense of self, and of time. I am also a public speaker and contribute to literary and science festivals.
I am an expert in the apocalyptic imagination. My book on the topic, The Contemporary Post-Apocalyptic Novel: Critical Temporalities and the End Times, is out with Bloomsbury.
I’m now working on my second book, which explores the cultural politics of the sleep crisis, namely, today’s presumed widespread sleep deprivation. This award-winning project has attracted funding from the Wellcome Trust and the European Commission.
My essays and criticism have appeared in publications ranging from Salon, RTÉ, The Week,The Conversation, and Post45 Contemporaries, to Parallax, ASAP/J, Critique, and boundary 2 online.
I am available to write and speak about my areas of expertise.
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My latest book is out now in paperback
The Contemporary Post-Apocalyptic Novel
Published by Bloomsbury in 2020, The Contemporary Post-Apocalyptic Novel offers an innovative critical model for our cultural obsession with the apocalypse by focussing on the significance of time in the 21st-century post-apocalyptic novel.
Reviews:
“A landmark study of 21st century fiction”
“A theoretical tour de force”
“A rigorously interdisciplinary work”
“Demonstrates the social relevance of literature and literature analysis”
You can find the book in major bookshops like WHSmith, Bookshop.org, Amazon, Blackwell’s, and Barnes & Noble.
I write cultural criticism for the scholarly community and the general audience
Latest Essays & Articles
The Counterproductive Promise of a “Sleep Goal”
The Week, March 2022.
“Network Aesthetic”: Review of Douglas Coupland’s Binge
Review 31, February 2022.
Patterns of Repetition: Colonialism, Capitalism and Climate Breakdown in Contemporary Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Parallax 27.1 (2021): 12-30.
Click below to see more of my writings
I regularly give academic and public talks
Public Speaking & Podcasts
Click below to watch & listen to past talks
I consult on projects requiring scholarly expertise in my areas of specialism
Consulting
Sleep Stories at Durham Book Festival 2021
A three-part podcast series inspired by the theme of sleep
The podcast series features stories by leading British writers Salena Godden, Jenn Ashworth, and Andrew McMillan, introduced by neuroscientist and writer Erik Hoel, Professor of Sleep Science Jason Ellis, and me.