Dr Kirsty Bunting will be delivering a talk on her use of games the teaching of creative writing at the National Association of Writers in Education’s 2026 Conference.

Abstract:

I facilitate play of my romance-narrative generating Table Top Role Playing Game [TTRPG] ‘Always on My Mind’ with English and creative writing undergraduates to teach about the genre’s reader expectations and storytelling devices, and as a way of overcoming reservations about a genre which, although globally bestselling, can be subject to reductive value judgements in academic spaces. My presentation will share key takeaways from student questionnaires evaluating the game’s success as a pedagogic and creative writing tool, outlining the benefits, drawbacks and things to consider when using RPGs for safe, inclusive active learning, as well as encouraging delegates to consider developing their own TTRPGs for teaching.