Cli-Fi for beginners: Imagination for climate solutions

In 2020, as dystopia spills into real life, it seems the world can’t get enough of blockbuster dystopian fiction, either from Hollywood or bestselling novels.

But we are #OverDystopia.

Since lockdown started, a warm and friendly bunch from around the world have been meeting twice a month in quiet, creative rebellion. We are being bold, imagining a future we want, that thrives within planetary boundaries.

Each month we take a climate solution; we explore, discuss and inspect it and then we write hopeful stories, projecting ourselves into the future as though that solution were already so. As though tidal power were mainstream, as though all girls had access to education, as though all our buildings were made from sustainable materials.

We are not scriptwriters, published authors or professional creators (mostly) – we are global citizens reclaiming the oldest form of learning there is: the story.

We are not waiting for someone else to write the next chapter. We are writing it ourselves.

You are very welcome to join us.

>> Cli-Fi imaginarium is now open for submissions.

MORE DETAILS:

Every second Monday at 7pm UK time on Zoom.

Imagination Stretching

We'll spend some time getting to know the solution of the month, have a quick warm-up exercise then write for 20 mins. We'll share fragments of our future as we close the session. (Optional extra to stay on at the end and read yours out to everybody).

An experiment starting in November 2025

Starting November 2025 for the following 5 sessions we're going to be using prompts from NC State University's Long View Project. The project interviews scientists and experts and then builds a world based on their interpretation of a positive future scenario.

So what does that mean for upcoming cli-fi sessions?

You’ll know the prompt in advance. You can see we’ve selected them below.

Your task is to ideally have read the Future Scenario prompt before the session starts (should take no more than 10 minutes)

• November - Dark Skies
• February - Transportation
• March - Energy
• April - Wastewater
• May - AI and Education

These are world building prompts. So during our session our task will be to myth-make within that world. In our group dreaming session we will have a discussion to explore the world in more detail.

New to writing? That’s ok too, you’re very welcome. Like we always say write it from the first person perspective and have a go at writing fragments about what that world looks like, tastes like, feels like.