[Commlist] CFP: “True Crime as a Serial and Transmedia Phenomenon: The Italian Scenario” conference

CFP// TRUE CRIME AS A SERIAL AND TRANSMEDIA PHENOMENON: THE ITALIAN SCENARIO

International Conference
IULM University, Milan, 26-27 November 2025
Deadline CFP: 20 may 2025


As Ian Punnett notes, in recent years, true crime has gained widespread 
transnational and multiplatform success. Yet, beyond its contemporary 
popularity, true crime stands out as a genre with a long and complex 
history, tracing its roots back to the very origins of serial 
storytelling—an enduring testament to the power of its narratives. 
Despite its cultural and commercial relevance, the genre remains 
underexplored in academic research, with only a few notable exceptions. 
This gap is particularly evident in the Italian media landscape, where 
true crime has been largely overlooked as a subject of scholarly inquiry.

The conference "TRUE CRIME AS A SERIAL AND TRANSMEDIA PHENOMENON: THE 
ITALIAN SCENARIO", held at IULM University in Milan on 26-27 November 
2025, aims to critically examine true crime as a transnational genre, 
highlighting both its global dimensions and its specificities within the 
Italian context.

We invite proposals that explore true crime narrative in different media 
(literature, theater, radio, television, cinema, podcast), the 
intersections between true crime and celebrity culture, fan communities, 
digital storytelling, and social media engagement. Additionally, we 
encourage contributions that address the geographical and spatial 
dimensions of crime representation, the role of family and gender in 
true crime narratives, and the historical evolution of the genre across 
different media.

Studies on genre hybridity, investigating true crime’s intersections 
with noir, detective fiction, and comedy, as well as research on the 
distinctive characteristics of true crime as a narrative form are also 
welcomed. While this is an international conference open to 
contributions from diverse cultural contexts, special attention will be 
given to studies examining Italian true crime media, with a particular 
interest in contributions from Italian scholars.

The conference language will be both English and Italian, with 
simultaneous translation provided.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

Historical perspectives on true crime across media (with a particular 
focus on the Italian context)

True crime and genre hybridization (noir, detective fiction, comedy, 
horror, Gothic)

True crime and its geographical aspects, such as the local and 
transnational perspectives, as well as its relationship with cities and 
urban realities

Crime, family, and gender roles in true crime narratives

True crime and celebrity culture

True crime fan cultures and digital communities

Social media and crime storytelling (YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, etc.)

True crime in streaming, television, and podcasts

The use of archival material in reconstructing narratives

Internet sleuthing and forensic fandom

True crime journalism and its role in shaping public discourse

We look forward to receiving international proposals, with particular 
interest in research focusing on the Italian true crime landscape.

We invite scholars to submit an abstract up to 300 words, along with 
five key words, a short bio (max. 150 words) and an optional 
bibliography (up to five references). Papers must be submitted to 
Daniela Cardini, Alessia Casiraghi and Diletta Cenni at: 
(truecrimeconference /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(truecrimeconference /at/ gmail.com)>

The conference will be held in-person only. The submission deadline is 
May 20th, 2025. Notification of acceptance will be sent by June 30th, 
2025. The keynote speakers will be announced soon.

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