Series 2, Episode 42: How "Literary Futures" can change the way we think about opportunities, with Professor Rebecca Braun, University of Galway

In many areas of life – both personal and professional – the need to envision potential futures and establish how to get there is crucial. Indeed, some would argue that the ability to envision potential futures is part of what defines us as human beings. And while there are well established approaches such as scenario planning and forecasting, a recent paper in journal Futures outlines a promising new approach, informed by literature and the great literary works. To discuss this, I am delighted to be joined on the Brain for Business podcast by Professor Rebecca Braun.

Professor Rebecca Braun is the Executive Dean of College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies at the University of Galway.

Prior to joining the University of Galway in 2021, Rebecca was Professor of Modern Languages & Creative Futures at Lancaster University in the UK, where she was also Co-Director of the Institute for Social Futures from 2017-2020. Rebecca held further lectureships and research fellowships at the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Oxford in the UK and at the Freie Universität Berlin.

• The article discussed in the interview is available here –  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328724000314

• More information on the Literary Futures approach is available here –

• https://thenextwavefutures.wordpress.com/2024/03/22/using-literary-futures-to-open-up-the-imagination-methods/

• Rebecca Braun’s University Page can be access here –  https://www.universityofgalway.ie/our-research/people/languages-literatures-and-cultures/rebeccabraun/

• The Futures journal can be accessed online – https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/futures

• The Next Wave Futures blog can be subscribed to online – https://thenextwavefutures.wordpress.com/