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XVIII Jornadas de Innovación e Investigación Educativa

We are delighted to share that our predoctoral researcher María Abizanda-Cardona has presented a conference poster at the XVIII Conference on Teaching Innovation and Educational Research organized by the University of Zaragoza. The presentation took place in the thematic panel “Rethinking Teaching Innovation in the New Regulatory Context”, a space devoted to reflecting on how higher education is adapting to new institutional and pedagogical frameworks.

The poster, entitled “Fostering Critical Thinking through Literature: Assessing the Literary Criticism Workshop as a Teaching Innovation Experience in English Studies,” was developed collaboratively by a group of PhD students in Literature from the Department of English and German Studies. Its aim was to present and analyze the outcomes of our three-year ongoing teaching innovation project, which has been exploring how literary studies can be used as a powerful tool to enhance students’ critical thinking, interpretive skills, and reflective engagement.

At the core of the project lies the Literary Criticism Workshop, an innovative teaching model that places students in an active role as critics and interpreters of literary texts. Rather than approaching literature as a set of fixed meanings, the workshop encourages students to debate, question, and construct arguments collectively, helping them to develop key transversal skills such as critical reasoning, analytical writing, and collaborative learning.

The poster session provided an excellent opportunity to share our results with colleagues from different disciplines and institutions, and to reflect on how teaching innovation projects like this one can respond to the evolving demands of higher education. The interest generated during the session confirmed the relevance of literature-based pedagogies for fostering deeper forms of learning in today’s university classroom.

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Exploring Posthumanism: New Special Issue in Estudios Norteamericanos

We are thrilled to announce the publication of a special issue on Posthumanism in Estudios Norteamericanos, edited by our very own Rubén Peinado Abarrio and Ana Chapman. This issue brings together cutting-edge research that interrogates the limits of humanism, the ethics of emerging technologies, and the complex entanglements of humans, nonhumans, and machines in contemporary culture.

Several members of our research team have contributed outstanding articles to this issue. Here’s a closer look at their work:

1. Critical Perspectives on the Already Posthuman World – Rubén Peinado Abarrio & Ana Chapman
This introduction to the special issue frames posthumanism not as a futuristic abstraction but as a lens to analyze present realities. It explores how posthuman theory reshapes our understanding of bodies, technology, and identity.
🔗 Read the full article

2. Black Utopia and Body Agency in Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts – Mónica Calvo Pascual
Mónica’s article examines how Solomon’s novel imagines alternative social and bodily arrangements, highlighting non-normative identities, kinship, and posthuman relationality. It’s a vital contribution to discussions on Black utopian futures and speculative fiction.
🔗 Read the full article

3. Transgressing the Code of Desire: Queering the Posthuman in Annalee Newitz’s Autonomous – Laura Larrodera-Arcega
Laura explores how Autonomous challenges heteronormative codes and envisions queer, trans, and bio-engineered bodies in posthuman futures. The article demonstrates how speculative fiction destabilizes traditional categories of identity and desire.
🔗 Read the full article

4. “Hope to Do Some Good, No Matter How F*ed Up You Are”: Ecoterrorism, Trauma and Ecological Affect in The Ministry for the Future – Laura García Soria
Laura’s ecocritical study examines climate affect, ecological trauma, and radical environmental activism in Robinson’s novel. Her work highlights how posthumanist perspectives can illuminate our relationship to ecological crisis and ethical responsibility.
🔗 Read the full article

This special issue provides a rich, multi-faceted exploration of posthumanism, demonstrating how the field continues to reshape literary studies, critical theory, and cultural analysis. From queer and Black utopian futures to ecological crises and the ethics of technological entanglements, the contributions highlight the diverse ways posthumanism challenges and extends our understanding of the human in the contemporary world.

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II Congreso Internacional de Investigación del Patrimonio (CONIVIP 2025)

El grupo de investigación se complace en anunciar la participación de nuestro investigador Rubén Peinado Abarrio (UNIZAR) en el II Congreso Internacional de Investigación del Patrimonio (CONIVIP 2025), celebrado en la Universidad San Jorge (Zaragoza) los días 27 y 28 de noviembre. Este congreso reúne a especialistas de diversas disciplinas para explorar el patrimonio cultural, artístico, literario y audiovisual desde enfoques contemporáneos, con especial atención a los retos que plantea la era digital y las nuevas formas de memoria colectiva.

La programación de CONIVIP 2025 destaca por su carácter multidisciplinar, incluyendo sesiones dedicadas al patrimonio fotográfico y audiovisual, historia del arte y arquitectura, criminología cultural, museos e industrias culturales, así como al patrimonio lingüístico y literario.

Dentro de esta última sección —Patrimonio Lingüístico y Literario— Rubén Peinado presentará hoy, de 17:00 a 17:10, la comunicación titulada: “La recuperación del patrimonio en la literatura de trauma: el caso de Sarajevo”.

La ponencia forma parte de un panel que aborda distintas líneas de investigación sobre el patrimonio literario, la transmisión cultural a través de la literatura infantil, el papel de las lenguas en la enseñanza y la proyección del legado literario en contextos educativos e históricos. Su contribución dialoga con estas perspectivas al situar la literatura de trauma como una herramienta clave en los procesos de reconstrucción cultural y memoria colectiva.

CONIVIP 2025 ofrece un espacio excepcional para la reflexión crítica en torno al patrimonio y sus desafíos contemporáneos. La diversidad de las comunicaciones, junto con la participación de investigadoras e investigadores procedentes de numerosas universidades, convierte este encuentro en una plataforma ideal para compartir proyectos y abrir nuevas líneas de colaboración.

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AEDEAN 48

We’re delighted to share that our team member María Ferrández-San Miguel took part in the 2025 AEDEAN Conference, contributing to the rich discussions on contemporary literature and posthuman studies. 🌍📚

María delivered the paper “The Science behind Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Series: On the Performativity and Creativity of Matter,” where she explored the intersections between science, ecology, and posthuman ontology in VanderMeer’s acclaimed trilogy. Her analysis highlighted how The Southern Reach reimagines matter as an active, creative force—an idea central to posthumanist and new materialist frameworks.

In addition to her presentation, María also introduced the recently published volume The Posthuman Condition in 21st Century Literature and Culture: Interdisciplinary Insights (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025), co-edited with Esther Muñoz-González and Carmen Laguarta-Bueno. The book gathers contributions from international scholars exploring posthumanism across literature, film, and culture.

It was an inspiring event that once again showcased the vibrant dialogue between literary studies, philosophy, and science—core to our group’s ongoing research. ✨

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Upcoming Seminar: Posthumanismo y Estética Digital del S. XXI

We are delighted to announce the upcoming seminar “Posthumanismo y Estética Digital del S. XXI”, to be delivered by our team member Miriam Fernández Santiago on December 17, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. in Aula Ana Pardo (Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Zaragoza).

In this session, Miriam will delve into the cultural and philosophical transformations that define what has been called the Third Media Age (Li) or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab). These profound shifts, marked by both socioeconomic and technological change, resonate with the key tenets of Posthumanism—both in its critical and transhumanist strands.

As she explains, the variety of labels proposed for our current aesthetic framework—post-postmodernism, digimodernism, metamodernism, new sincerity, among others—attests to the difficulty of identifying a stable paradigm for the new millennium.

To address this, Miriam proposes the concept of the “Neoapolíneo”, an aesthetic paradigm that captures the ergodic (participatory) and synthetic dimensions of 21st-century digital culture. Her talk will highlight how this framework fits within agential materialism, drawing connections to the principles of quantum physics.

This promises to be a stimulating exploration of how posthuman philosophy and digital aesthetics intersect in contemporary cultural production. ✨

📅 Date: December 17, 2025
🕦 Time: 11:30 A.M.
📍 Venue: Aula Ana Pardo, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras

We look forward to seeing you there!

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The Posthuman Wound is now on Instagram!

We have exciting news… our research group now has an official Instagram account! 🎉📸

Why follow us? Because we’re bringing posthumanism, literature, and research closer to you in a fun and dynamic way. Expect:

  • 🔬 Research updates – See what our team is working on, from cutting-edge projects to international collaborations.
  • 🎙️ Podcasts and videos– Dive into conversations about American literature, posthumanism, and contemporary culture.
  • ✨ Events and conferences
  • 📚 Publications and resources – Discover our latest open-access articles, books, and innovative research projects..

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La noche de la investigación 2025

On 26 September 2025, the annual European Researchers’ Night brought science, curiosity, and public engagement to the streets, labs, museums, and plazas across Europe. As part of this Europe-wide celebration, our research group joined in with a lineup of events, talks, and interactive moments designed to bring our work—and the questions we grapple with—into public view.

Below is a recap of our research group’s events in this very special evening!

Starting up early in Granada, our team member Miriam Fernández Santiago led the activity for schools “Metáfora Transhumanista: Estética de la Representación de la Inteligencia Artificial” at the Paseo del Salón.

Back in Zaragoza, we had a busy line-up of events. First off, María Ferrández Sanmiguel presented her tale for children “El gran hilo que todo lo une – Una historia posthumana” at the Patio Inglés.

At the same time, our predoctoral researcher María Abizanda Cardona helped kids discover the work of women scientists in the Purple Corner.

Afterwards, she took part of the Speed Dating activity at the Cafeteria of CaixaForum, where she had the opportunity to share our group’s research with the adult public.

To finish off the day in Zaragoza, María Abizanda Cardona delivered a short talk about her thesis work called “Sherlocks del siglo XXI: ¿Puede la novela de misterio ayudarnos a resolver la crisis climática?” at the Late Show: Investigación a escena event.

At the same time but all the way to Granada, our team member Miriam Fernández Santiago took part of the same event, delivering the short talk “¿Te gusta lo Neoapolíneo? ¡Bienvenido al Posthumanismo!”.

As always, it’s been a very fruitful and exciting day! We love to chat about our research with our peers and the public, and are already looking forward to next year. ✨

#NIGHTSpain #ERN2025 #EuropeanResearchersNight #NocheEuropeaInvestigacion

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La noche de la investigación 2025

🚨🚨🚨 One week until European Researchers’ Night next Friday! Check out this post to see our team members’ plans for this very special day in Zaragoza, Sevilla and Granada ⬇️ #NIGHTSpain #ERN2025 #EuropeanResearchersNight #NocheEuropeaInvestigacion

🔈 Our team members in Zaragoza have a busy schedule ahead! 📍 Caixaforum Zaragoza 🕝 Starting at 17 h.

🟣♀️👩‍🔬 First, our predoctoral researcher @mariaabizandac.bsky.social will take part of the “Purple Corner”, where she will discuss her experiences as a female researcher.

📍 Caixaforum Zaragoza 🗺️ Terraza entreplantas 🕝 17-18 h.

📚👩‍👩‍👧‍👦🌈 At the same time, our team member @maria-fsm.bsky.social will present her posthumanist story for children “El gran hilo que todo lo une – Una historia posthumana”. Ideal for kids and families!!

📍 Caixaforum Zaragoza 🗺️ Patio Inglés 🕝 17 h.

⌛💬📕 Later, our predoctoral researcher @mariaabizandac.bsky.social will take part of the Speed Dating activity chatting about our team’s work with the public. Drop by to get to know more about our research!

📍 Caixaforum Zaragoza 🗺️ Cafetería 🕝 18 h.

🕵️‍♀️🌍📚 To finish off our busy schedule in Zaragoza, our PhD student @mariaabizandac.bsky.social will deliver a short talk entitled “Sherlocks del siglo XXI: ¿Puede la novela de misterio ayudarnos a resolver la crisis climática?” in the Late Show event.

📍 Caixaforum Zaragoza 🗺️ Auditorio 🕝 20 h.

Our team members will also be present at Sevilla! 🤖🎤@mirfersan.bsky.social will deliver the short talk “¿Te gusta lo Neoapolíneo? ¡Bienvenido al Posthumanismo!” as part of the Late Show: La investigación a escena event.

📍 Caixaforum Sevilla 🗺️ Auditorio 🕝 20:30 h.

Our researchers will hit Granada as well! 🤖📝@mirfersan.bsky.social will also lead the activity “Metáfora Transhumanista: Estética de la Representación de la Inteligencia Artificial” aimed at educational centers.

📍 Granada 🗺️ Paseo del Salón 🕝 10 h.

Stay tuned to our socials to find out how European Researchers’ Night went about next Friday! ✨

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Publication of The Posthuman Condition in 21st Century Literature and Culture

We are delighted to announce the publication of The Posthuman Condition in 21st Century Literature and Culture: Interdisciplinary Insights (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025), which our team members María Ferrández-Sanmiguel, Esther Muñoz-González, Carmen Laguarta-Bueno have co-edited.

The full volume can be accessed here:

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-83701-2

Some of the chapters are available open access.

Table of Contents:

We invite you to explore these thought-provoking contributions and hope they inspire meaningful discussions and further research.

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LimLitConference 2025

📢 This week, several of our team members took part in the #LimLitConference2025, organized by our colleagues from the LIMLIT Research Group at the University of Zaragoza. It was an inspiring week full of vibrant discussions, critical reflections, and interdisciplinary exchanges! ✨

Throughout the conference, our researchers presented their latest work exploring posthumanism, relationality, and contemporary American literature:

📃 Ana Chapman delivered the paper “The Narrative of ‘Murmure’ and ‘Memor’: Relationality and Evolution in Marshall’s The Migration.”

📃 Our co-PI Mónica Calvo-Pascual presented “Body Agency and Radical Kinship in Rivers Solomon’s An Unkindness of Ghosts.”

📄 María Ferrández-San Miguel shared her work “Mourning the Human? Posthuman Death and Ontological Vulnerability in Jeff VanderMeer’s The Southern Reach Trilogy.”

📄 Miriam Fernández-Santiago discussed “The Posthuman Wound: Neo-Apollonian Aesthetics for Transcendental(ist) Relations in the Literary Productions by Tao Lin and Francesca Ferrando.”

On day 2, our doctoral student Aurora Rodríguez-Bermejo Fraile presented “The Embodied Other: New Materialism and Critical Posthumanism in The Deep (2019).”

📄 In the same panel, Esther Muñoz-González delivered “Resurrected Identities: The Posthuman and Gothic Relationality in Kelly Link’s The Book of Love.”

📄 Our co-PI Sonia Baelo-Allué explored “Narrating Relationality: Language, AI, and the Nonhuman in Louisa Hall’s Speak.”

📄 Rubén Peinado-Abarrio presented “Mise en abyme as a Feminist Strategy in Recent US Fiction.”

On day 3, our predoctoral researcher Laura García-Soria delivered “‘A New Structure of Feeling’: Social Media, Planetarity and Relationality in The Ministry for the Future.”

The conference wrapped up after three intense days of engaging talks and meaningful academic exchanges. It’s been a pleasure to share our research and connect with colleagues from Zaragoza and beyond.