About

Alette J Willis, PhD

Storyteller, Author, Teacher, Researcher

I work with stories for nature connection, environmental consciousness raising and science communication.  I have been Storyteller in Residence to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a Talking Tree at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and regularly I can be found telling stories at the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

I’m a keen advocate for using creative writing, storytelling and allied skills in sharing research.  I teach on this at the University of Edinburgh, contributing to programmes in Science Communication, Outdoor Education and Environmental Education, and public health. I will be offering, ‘Story Roots for Sustainable Futures’, as a for-credit post-graduate course and a CPD course through the Edinburgh Futures Institute 2022.

I lead workshops on storytelling skills for research communication to researchers and academics at the Institute for Academic Development and the Beltane Knowledge Exchange Network, as well as bespoke training on narrative and research communication for universities and research institutes across the UK and internationally. 

As a researcher, I have been studying how people, communities and societies use stories in ethical decision-making and social transformation and have published on this areas. Drawing on my years of research, teaching and storytelling, I am currently writing a book on the role stories play in transforming communities and societies to address the local and global crises of our time.