By Way of Introduction – Reflections on Narrative and Values, and the Value of Narratives

Studies of the intertwinement of narrative and values have gained an urgency beyond the study of fiction, as our public spheres become ever more story-saturated, and storytelling is instrumentalized to persuade people of the value of a political message or commercial product, to present news stories (real, fake, or something in-between), or to back up accusations. In this volume, narrative ethics and the broader issue of narrative and values are considered from a variety of theoretical, analytical and practical standpoints. Before introducing the contents of this volume, we will propose some thoughts on – and pose questions about – the ways in which this research on the intersection between narrative and values is currently taking form. We will discuss in particular research in literary, media and cultural studies with a focus on literary narrative fiction. However, as some of the contributions to this volume show, these developments have relevance for a much broader range of narrative practices.