Research summary
Dr. Larissa Lai, Canada Research Chair in Creative Writing, is a novelist, poet, critic, and associate professor of creative writing. She is interested in exploring the concept of utopia, especially in relation to aesthetic innovation and social and ecological justice.
In her work and at The Insurgent Architects’ House for Creative Writing (TIA), which she directs, Lai is interested in the concept of “insurgent utopianism," a combination of idealistic thought, critical thought and narrative experiment. Outcomes of her tenure will include a novel, a book of poetry, a monograph and three edited volumes; the ongoing building of TIA; and dissemination projects, including an oral history podcast and webzine.