Imaginary Cities - Black to the Future

Black to the Future (BttF) is a multidisciplinary, hybrid biennial arts festival – an Afro-Futurist celebration of outstanding Black artists across games, books, music and film, and a space for visionary imaginings to thrive.

This innovative festival, launched in October 2023 continues into 2024 with Imaginary Cities, presented at the British Library on the 6th February, 7pm. Featuring science fiction and fantasy writer N.K Jemisin, author Victor LaValle and Black to the Future founder and writer Irenosen Okojie MBE these speakers discuss what makes cities great and how both imagined and real urban settings in fiction can provoke and lead to social change and activism in the real world.

Imaginary Cities will examine fantasy settings and destinations, and how centering marginalised perspectives in fantasy narratives allows for more expansive explorations of the genre, empowering readers to change the world they live in for the better.

This event takes place in person at the British Library and will be simultaneously live streamed on the British Library platform.

This event is supported by the U.S. Embassy, London and the Eccles Centre for American Studies at the British Library.