About The Speaker
When And where
Jorge Català-Carrasco
Originally from Valencia, he has developed an internationally recognised research profile in Hispanic cultural studies, with a particular focus on contemporary Spanish and Latin American cultural production, visual culture, and memory studies. His work has significantly contributed to advancing the study of graphic narrative and comics as critical tools for understanding historical memory, political crises, and cultural identity across the Spanish-speaking world.
He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and edited volumes in leading international outlets, contributing to key debates in Hispanic studies and cultural analysis. His scholarly contributions are both original and influential. His monograph Vanguardia y humorismo gráfico en crisis offers a ground-breaking analysis of avant-garde graphic humour in Spain and Cuba during key historical periods, while his co-edited volume Comics and Memory in Latin America has helped establish new interdisciplinary perspectives in the field.
Dr Català-Carrasco has demonstrated strong academic leadership. As Head of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies at Newcastle University (2021–2024), he played a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the discipline and supporting colleagues and students alike. He has also played a leading role in major international research initiatives including a Marie Curie-RISE (Horizon 2020) project on Cultural Narratives of Crisis and Renewal, and the COST Action iCOn-MICS.
This recognition would also mark an important milestone for the Society, as he would become the first SRUK/CERU Merit Award recipient from the Humanities, highlighting the essential contribution of these disciplines to research, innovation, and societal impact.
Dr Jorge Català-Carrasco has contributed both directly and indirectly to the activities and founding objectives of SRUK/CERU, particularly through his active engagement with the Society and his commitment to fostering collaboration between Spain and the United Kingdom.
He is a very active member of the Northeast SRUK/CERU constituency, where he consistently supports the constituency director in the organisation of activities and participation in meetings. His sustained involvement at the local level reflects a strong commitment to building and maintaining a vibrant community of Spanish researchers in the UK.
At a more general level, at the 11th SRUK/CERU International Symposium (2024) at Newcastle University, he facilitated the workshop Communicating Without Words, bringing and engaging with an expert in the field, Lydia Wysocki. He has also engaged with the SRUK/CERU Language Policy Committee, particularly through the event he organised in Newcastle, “A Just Transition to Multilingualism: Why Multilingualism and Language Rights Are Key to a Sustainable Future,” in April 2026. He is currently also involved in organising an upcoming event for the SRUK/CERU Environment Committee at Newcastle University (June 2026), facilitating interdisciplinary exchange and engagement with researchers across diverse fields.