Not the Troubles

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.