NILE 2008

Visit Edinburgh!

Edinburgh: "This is a city of shifting light, of changing skies, of sudden vistas. A city so beautiful that it breaks the heart again and again" (Alexander McCall Smith).

If you haven't been before, you will love it. If you have been already, you know you want to visit again. In fact, NILE has always been held in Edinburgh due to popular demand of conference delegates. It's held at the Pollock Halls of Residence which is next to Holyrood Park under the shadow of an extinct volcano. (Accommodation booking will be arranged through conference registration, so you don't need to book it yourself).

The venue is very close to the city centre and the World Heritage Site of the Old Town.  When the conference happens the city will be celebrating the largest arts festival in the world. Actually, festivals in the plural: the art festival, the book festival, the festival fringe, the international festival and the jazz and blues festival are all happening around then. Edinburgh is also the first UNESCO  City of Literature. What more could a NILE attendee want from a venue?

Papers under review

Thanks to all the authors who submitted papers. They are now being read avidly by the reviewers, and you can expect the reviews returned around the end of April.

Dr Donald Smith - Opening Key Note

I am pleased to announce the opening key note speaker at NILE 2008 will be Dr Donald Smith, Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre. He's also a playwright, director, poet and author. Here's what he will talk about.

Looms for Learning?

Is narrative a form of engaged thinking as much as a
method of communication? If so what does it offer learners? This talk
reflects on key aspects of narrative, but also on the ways in which
stories are themselves integrating in their dynamic and require tellers,
listeners, interporeters and recreators in continuous processes. Finally
the talk will offer some open questions as to whether the mode or media
of narration effect the styles and benefits of engagement.