Glimpses of Utopia

It's hard to be excited about the future right now. Climate change is accelerating; inequality is growing; politics is polarised; institutions designed to protect us are strained; technology is disrupting the world of work. We need to upgrade the operating systems of our society. Jess Scully asks, What can we do? The answer is: plenty! All over the world, people are refusing the business-as-usual mindset and putting humans back into the civic equation, reimagining work and care, finance and government, urban planning and communication, to make them better and fairer for all. Meet the care workers reclaiming control in India and Lebanon, the people turning slums into safe havens in Kenya and Bangladesh, and champions of people-powered digital democracy in Iceland and Taiwan. There are radical bankers funding renewable energy in the USA and architects redesigning real estate in Australia, new payment systems in Italy and the Philippines that keep money in local communities, and innovators redesigning taxation to cut pollution and incentivise creative solutions. Glimpses of Utopia is a call for optimism. Humans everywhere are rising up to confront our challenges with creativity, resilience and compassion. Harnessing technology and imagination, we can reshape our world to be fair and sustainable. This book shows us how.

Jess Scully is a curator who uses creativity to engage people in the knowledge economy and with urban life in the 21st century, working to shape a sustainable and inclusive future. In 2019 she was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. Jess has charted a unique career over 20 years: founding ground-breaking festival Vivid Ideas, Australia's largest creative-industries event; supporting emerging talent through projects such as the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards; sparking new thinking through TEDxSydney; and transforming public spaces as a public art curator. She has also been a policy advisor, radio host and magazine editor. As a councillor, Jess advocates for new models to address the housing crisis and support workforces of the future, is championing the revival of nightlife and expanding access to culture, and protecting digital rights in the public realm. A strong believer in citizen participation, Jess is committed to opening up politics, especially to younger and more diverse people. Jess Scully's first book, Glimpses of Utopia, will be published by Pantera Press in August 2020.