ABSTRACT
Fiction can provide a safe space for the reader. This chapter will explore the ways in which fiction can allow a reader to ‘try on’ an identity, emotions, situations, and experiences with which they may not be familiar. In this way, it can be practice for responding to these events and feelings when confronted with them in real life. This is important for teaching, as it is an acknowledgement not every student can be expected to have experienced the gamut of experiences with which they may be expected to respond when working as a practitioner. The second way in which fiction can create a safe space is through the collective reading experience, which we explore fully in Chapter 8.
