Professor Vita Fortunati is Chair of English Literature, Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies on Utopia, Coordinator for women's and gender studies research projects in Bologna. She has directed two European networks on comparative studies: Cotepra (Comparative Studies: Theory and practice) and Acume (Cultural Memory within an interdisciplinary perspective). Her main research interests include the theoretical and literary issues in gender studies, women's studies, postcolonial studies, ageing and women, the literary representation of the body, women's travel literature, utopia and science fiction, women in avant guard. She is the coordinator of the interdisciplinary course in women's studies (University of Bologna). Her recent publications include:

• Women and Cultural Memory (2004)
• The Controversial Women's Body (2003)
• Dictionary of Literary Utopia (2000)
• Critiche femministe e teorie letterarie (ed. V. Fortunati, R. Monticelli; R. Baccolini, M.G Fabi) (1997)