Björn Billing

Björn Billing is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, University of Gothenburg. His academic work spans environmental history, ecocriticism, and cultural studies of the Anthropocene, with a particular focus on Arctic landscapes and paleontological narratives.

• PhD in Aesthetics (2000, Theodor W. Adorno's modern art theories)
• Postdoctoral research (2001–2004) on intersections of philosophy, architecture, and music in Vienna

Research interests include:

• Environmental history and climate change representation
• Ecocritical analysis of landscapes
• Arctic cultural imaginaries
• Historical paleontology narratives

Current projects:

• Principal investigator for 'Freezing cold. Northern European imaginaries of winter, snow and ice during the Little Ice Age' (2023–present, funded by Swedish Research Council)
• Study of Svalbard's polar environment through 1596–1818 travelogues

His publications examine:

• Anthropocene's cultural implications
• Dinosaur symbolism and heritage
• Swedish conservation history
• Historical climate discourse

Teaching includes courses in environmental history and ecocriticism, with advisory roles in interdisciplinary sustainability projects.