Women and Crime Fiction Workshop University of Zurich - June 7-8, 2024

Ever since the genre established itself in the Anglophone world in the mid-nineteenth century, crime fiction and discussions of crime fiction have tended to underemphasize the role women play in it, unless they are victims or femme fatales. Yet women, as authors, major characters, and audience members, have been a part of the genre since the very beginning.

This workshop brings together scholars from Europe and beyond to discuss their work on femininity and crime literature, film, television, and podcasting from a various global contexts.

The workshop will be opened with a keynote by Dr. Kerstin-Anja Münderlein (Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg) with the title “‘She's a woman, and women act in a silly way’: Policing and (Re-)Negotiating Acceptable Femininity from the Golden Age to Syd Moore.”

Swiss crime novel author Gabriela Kasperski will give a talk discussing her writing process and how to craft convincing female characters.

The two-day workshop consists of two keynotes and a number of panels. Download the detailed programme here (PDF, 91 KB).

If you wish to join the workshop as a listener, please sign up here by May 23rd at the latest.

The workshop takes place at the English Department of the University of Zurich, Plattenstrasse 47, 8032 Zürich, room PLH-E-05.