I began studying narrative in 2022. Like many people working in communications, changes in the media had affected my work drastically and I felt I needed a deeper understanding of narrative — especially of ethical considerations.

I began my research online. At first, I was confused by the language — lots of people were using the word “narrative” but it didn’t seem like they were talking about the same thing. The further I dug, the broader narrative research became, departing from literature and communication and extending into sociology, psychology, neuroscience, computer science and medicine. The narrative ecosystem was broader and richer than I had ever imagined. I couldn’t believe the amount of research that was publicly accessible — if you just looked hard enough.

In time I found the edges of the ecosystem, but I wished in the beginning there was someplace I could get an overview of the landscape: which areas overlapped and where they departed from one another, how to find people and projects I was interested in and projects in areas I didn’t know existed. The world I had discovered was rich and vibrant, but it wasn’t always easy to find — and the lexicon sometimes made access difficult.

The narrative community has been incredibly generous to me. I have found conferences welcoming, reading groups encouraging, and researchers kind when I’ve contacted them with a question. The Narrative Home is my way to pay it forward.

This site is not intended to be a resource in itself; the goal is to make it easier to find other resources, using simple language for accessibility. Please reach out if there is anything you’d like added or edited, or have suggestions.

Fiona Ramsey
Communications Consultant