Dara Sampson, PhD, is a senior research fellow in the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. She has worked as both a social worker and senior leader in Commonwealth government and taught social work at the University of Newcastle and University of Sydney. Her PhD topic was an exploration of the use of fiction in social work education, bringing together her commitment to social work and her love of words.Amanda Howard, Professor, is part of the Social Work and Policy Studies team at the University of Sydney and is the director of Undergraduate Programs. Areas of research include community development, disasters and climate change, inclusion, and participatory action research.

• 1.The background and how this book began. 2.How are stories being used in teaching? 3.I just don’t like this book. 4.Language, power, and social work. 5.The safe space of fiction. 6.Empathy, story, and power. 7.Imprinting our own story. 8.A community of fiction. 9.Teaching social work with fiction. 10.What did we learn about reading fiction and social work? 11.Which fiction? 12.The transformative power of fiction. 13.Ten reasons fiction deepens social work education. Appendix.

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-LambkinDirector Hunter Medical Research InstituteAs 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 HeinschHead of Discipline, Social WorkUniversity of TasmaniaThis 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

Dara Sampson, PhD, is a senior research fellow in the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. She has worked as both a social worker and senior leader in Commonwealth government and taught social work at the University of Newcastle and University of Sydney. Her PhD topic was an exploration of the use of fiction in social work education, bringing together her commitment to social work and her love of words.Amanda Howard, Professor, is part of the Social Work and Policy Studies team at the University of Sydney and is the director of Undergraduate Programs. Areas of research include community development, disasters and climate change, inclusion, and participatory action research.

• 1.The background and how this book began. 2.How are stories being used in teaching? 3.I just don’t like this book. 4.Language, power, and social work. 5.The safe space of fiction. 6.Empathy, story, and power. 7.Imprinting our own story. 8.A community of fiction. 9.Teaching social work with fiction. 10.What did we learn about reading fiction and social work? 11.Which fiction? 12.The transformative power of fiction. 13.Ten reasons fiction deepens social work education. Appendix.

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-LambkinDirector Hunter Medical Research InstituteAs 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 HeinschHead of Discipline, Social WorkUniversity of TasmaniaThis 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

Dara Sampson, PhD, is a senior research fellow in the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. She has worked as both a social worker and senior leader in Commonwealth government and taught social work at the University of Newcastle and University of Sydney. Her PhD topic was an exploration of the use of fiction in social work education, bringing together her commitment to social work and her love of words.Amanda Howard, Professor, is part of the Social Work and Policy Studies team at the University of Sydney and is the director of Undergraduate Programs. Areas of research include community development, disasters and climate change, inclusion, and participatory action research.

• 1.The background and how this book began. 2.How are stories being used in teaching? 3.I just don’t like this book. 4.Language, power, and social work. 5.The safe space of fiction. 6.Empathy, story, and power. 7.Imprinting our own story. 8.A community of fiction. 9.Teaching social work with fiction. 10.What did we learn about reading fiction and social work? 11.Which fiction? 12.The transformative power of fiction. 13.Ten reasons fiction deepens social work education. Appendix.

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-LambkinDirector Hunter Medical Research InstituteAs 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 HeinschHead of Discipline, Social WorkUniversity of TasmaniaThis 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