ABSTRACT
Stories have been used since the beginning of time not only to recount the details of an experience or event, to engage, and to entertain but also to convey messages or themes of serious importance. This chapter includes a brief history of storytelling for personal development and social change, leading to an examination of the role of the narrative in knowledge development in the health and social sciences. The case-story approach adopted in this book is described and explained in terms of its potential to challenge existing perceptions and attitudes to play, to motivate action, and for engagement with quality improvement work. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the key features of storytelling which makes it a potent medium by which to ‘know play’ in all its myriad forms.
