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Belfast is often analysed as a divided society, anchored in ethno-politico-religious differences amid a long history of conflict. However, shifting the focus of academic attention reveals a range of alternative narratives of city life. Using storytelling as a leitmotif, this ethnographic account explores the epistemological validity of engaging with strangers in a range of settings, such as street corners, a hairdresser’s and a storytelling evening. It considers how creative writers represent life in Belfast. The author employs a variety of methods, including a dog as a research assistant and storytelling on location which demonstrates how people can re-shape and re-narrate life in Belfast.
“This amazing book challenges stereotypical notions about Belfast in Northern Ireland in a lucid, yet learned, style by focusing on alternative narratives...it is a great accomplishment.” • Helena Wulff, Stockholm University.
Karen Lane is a lecturer and Evening Degree Co-ordinator in social anthropology at the University of St Andrews. Her research interests are in storytelling, urban anthropology and using sensory knowledge as a research, teaching and learning tool. She was awarded the David Riches medal in 2017.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Storying of Everyday Life in Belfast
Chapter 1. Lovey Day for a Dander: Stories on the Street Corner
Chapter 2. Josie, the Mirror and Me: Performative Storytelling
Chapter 3. Ten by Nine: Personal Storytelling in Public
Chapter 4. Putting ‘Place’ in its Place: Storytelling on Location
Chapter 5. Stereotypically Belfast? Fictional Representations of City Life
Conclusion: Alternative Narratives from Belfast
References
Index