Writing the
Sleep Crisis
Exploring representations of
sleep in contemporary culture.
Picture credit: Insomnia. Stephen Magrath. CC0 1.0 Universal
About
This research project explores how sleep, and lack thereof, is represented in contemporary writings across fiction, non-fiction, and digital culture. It’s the first study to analyse cultural engagements with the sleep crisis, namely, the sense that contemporary society is profoundly sleep-deprived.
“Writing the Sleep Crisis” is led by Dr Diletta De Cristofaro. It is currently funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement 892459, and based at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. The project also involves collaborations with Northumbria University, UK, where it was based between July 2020 and August 2021 funded by the Wellcome Trust’s Research Fellowship in Humanities and Social Science.
Sleep Stories
An Exclusive Commission
Durham Book Festival 2021
Featured Event
“Are We in a Sleep Crisis? Perspectives from Contemporary Culture” – A talk at The Lit&Phil by Dr Diletta De Cristofaro, June 2021
Picture credit: Insomnia. Stephen Magrath. CC0 1.0 Universal
People
Dr Diletta De Cristofaro
Principal Investigator on “Writing the Sleep Crisis”
Prof Simona Chiodo
Full Professor of Philosophy at Politecnico di Milano
Prof Katy Shaw
Professor of Contemporary Writings at Northumbria University
Prof Jason Ellis
Professor in Psychology at Northumbria University
Featured Publication
“Writing the Sleep Crisis”, The Polyphony: Conversations Across the Medical Humanities, December 2020
In this post in The Polyphony, Diletta De Cristofaro introduces the project and discusses sleep deprivation and speculative fiction that imagines the future end of sleep.
News
Upcoming talk at The Sociability of Sleep’s Sleep Salons
On 23rd March, 12-1:30 pm ET, Dr Diletta De Cristofaro will be giving a talk about “Writing Sleep”. This salon juxtaposes literary-critical explorations of sleep in contemporary fiction wi…
Sleep Stories Episode Three: Encroach by Andrew McMillan
The third and final episode of “Sleep Stories”, a podcast series co-commissioned in collaboration with Durham Book Festival is now available. “Encroach” is an exclusive short story, inspired by the th…
Sleep Stories Episode Two: The Night Watch by Jenn Ashworth
The second episode of “Sleep Stories”, a podcast series co-commissioned in collaboration with Durham Book Festival is now available. “The Night Watch” is an exclusive short story, inspired by the them…
Follow the Project
Get in Touch
Email Dr Diletta De Cristofaro:
diletta.decristofaro[at]gmail.com
Did you know our Fall Salons are now online? It's true! 🙌🎉
1. Social Lives of Sleep: @M_Wolf_Meyer + @AlcantaraPhD
2. Future (History of) Sleep: Kroker + Reiss
3. Traumatic Sleep: Nudelman + @juditeblanc
4. Controlling Dreams: @DrZdreams + Solomonova
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3no5ldX_jMrILEzqPhNLXQ
🔍🎞️ So grateful that people are adding incredible finds to our Sleep Disorders in Film & TV Database! Please add examples you see in popular movies or TV shows here, we plan to also acknowledge those who submitted responses when we publish: https://project-sleep.com/sleep-disorders-in-film-tv-database/
The recording of yesterday's FANTASTIC Confabulations event What is "lived experience"? with @danieljayregan & Chris Millard is now available to watch on our website (until the end of January 2022): https://youtu.be/CAODtcgl_GQ