Using Language, Fiction, and Story in Social Work Education

Stories are powerful. They connect us with emotions, can create meaning and purpose, and help us remember and engage more effectively with information than other forms of learning. In this book, stories and storytelling take us on a journey of discovery in social work education and practice. The authors expertly and thoughtfully weave complex themes around the development of empathy, pedagogy, the mobilisation of thoughtful clinical and reflective skills, and integration of research into an engaging narrative that encourages the reader to rethink the learning experience. A must read for anyone remotely interested in teaching, learning, and connecting with others through fiction. Book clubs will never be the same again!

Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin

Director Hunter Medical Research Institute

As a social work educator who has also previously taught with the authors, it has been fascinating to observe this journey. I highly recommend not only this book, but this teaching approach. The text invites us to engage with the complexities of social work, including a critical examination of the ways we traditionally teach and assess social work competence. I intend implementing many of their ideas.

Professor Milena Heinsch

Head of Discipline, Social Work

University of Tasmania

This book is a unique contribution to the scholarship of social work education. It allows us to explore in depth the connection between storytelling, reading both individually and collectively, and the development of empathy as a core social work skill and trait. This book will support social work academics and educators in their ongoing work to develop professionals suited to working with our most vulnerable peoples.

Reviewer 1 from peer-review process