Dr. Randall is an engaging speaker and presenter, and has led numerous workshops for professionals, practitioners, and members of the general public in Canada, the US, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and Norway. Here is a selection of his upcoming and past presentations and interviews.
2024
Ageing as Adventure: Reimagining Later Life
May 17, 2024 - The Ron Gray Conference was held at Emmanuel College. We were very lucky to have Professor Bill Randall, Emeritus Professor of Gerontology, from St Thomas University, Canada, join us as he was a visiting fellow at Emmanuel College. Bill put together a day of talks/workshops on the subject of narrative gerontology.
Please click here to read more.
Please click here to read more.
We were delighted to welcome the University of the Third Age's annual Ron Gray Conference to Emmanuel, where Ron was a fellow, as well as being a U3AC lecturer. Bill Randall, Lent Term 2024's Derek Brewer Visiting Fellow, organised the conference at the College, alongside the rest of the U3AC team.
READ MORE
READ MORE
Reading and Writing Our Lives
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Explore the fascinating world of aging through the insightful lens of Bill Randall. Bill has helped to pioneer a unique approach to the study of aging known as Narrative Gerontology. Author or co-author of over 70 publications, including 10 books, he has given keynote speeches, scholarly presentations, and interactive workshops for professionals, researchers, practitioners, and the general public world-wide.
Please click here for the interview. |
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William (Bill) Randall is in Durham, UK to present at Durham University's "Institute of Medical Humanities" this month.
In Feb and March, Bill will be presenting at the American University of Paris, University College London and the Aging as Adventure conference in Cambridge, UK. |
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2023
Redefining Dementia Podcast
Dr. Bill Randall: The Power of Narrative Care and Storytelling
Dr. Bill Randall: The Power of Narrative Care and Storytelling
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Have you ever stopped to wonder about the power of the stories we tell ourselves? What if there was a way to redefine the narrative around dementia, not as a decline, but as a journey of discovery? That's what we're exploring today with our distinguished guest, Dr. Bill Randall, a retired professor of gerontology, author, and passionate advocate for narrative care. Together, we delve deep into the profound impact of stories on our identity, health, relationships, and ultimately, our wisdom as we age.
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Please enjoy these wonderful presentations by Dr. Randall as part of The Drazuk Series hosted at
Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, GA
Lanier Village Estates in Gainesville, GA
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The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Interviews Dr. Randall on his latest book collaboration, Fairy Tale Wisdom
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Jeanne Armstrong spoke to STU professor Bill Randall about a book he co-authored called Fairy Tale Wisdom: Stories for the Second Half of Life. It's about revisiting the fables of our childhood as older adults, and looking at how we see these stories after a lifetime of experiences. Aired: April 10, 2023
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Dialogue with the Authors: Fairy Tale Wisdom with Bill Randall & Andy Achenbaum
In Fairy Tale Wisdom, Taos Institute Associate, William Randall, and co-authors, Barbara Lewis and Andy Achenbaum, crawl inside an assortment of fables, parables, and other little stories that they recall from their childhood and revisit them as older adults. They re-read—and re-member—timeless tales like Hansel and Gretel, The Ugly Duckling, The Tortoise and The Hare, plus many others, through the lens of the unfolding stories of their own lives, with all the losses and loves, the layers and learnings, that 70plus years entail.
www.fairytalewisdom.com |
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2022
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Book Signing November 6, from 1 to 3 pm - Chapters Fredericton, NB, Canada - Fairy Tale Wisdom: Stories for the Second Half of Life (ElderPress Books 2022).
Co-authored with Barbara Lewis and Andy Achenbaum of Houston, TX, the book is selling at both Chapters and Westminster Books, York Street, Fredericton, for $22.95 CAD, and is available Here Aimed at thoughtful, general readers aged 50 and up, Fairy Tale Wisdom invites you to embark on what I call “the inner adventure of later life” by revisiting fables, parables, and other little tales that you maybe first heard as children but that have remained in your mind ever since: stories like The Tortoise and The Hare, Little Red Riding Hood, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and more. It invites you to play with what you might learn from such stories--about yourself, about aging, about Life–-now that you’re not a kid anymore! |
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Soul Sister Conversations, PODCAST interview with Dana Lloyd
Bill Randall has been immersed in story his entire life. He grew up the son of a pastor, his father being a natural storyteller. Bill, too became a minister in the early part of his career practicing what he now calls narrative care, listening to people’s stories. As a retired professor and gerontologist at St. Thomas University, he wants us to understand the power of our stories we age. Today we chat about how our strength lies in our stories and how to be a better listener. We talk about aging and spirituality including how he reconciled religion with spirituality.
Bill Randall has been immersed in story his entire life. He grew up the son of a pastor, his father being a natural storyteller. Bill, too became a minister in the early part of his career practicing what he now calls narrative care, listening to people’s stories. As a retired professor and gerontologist at St. Thomas University, he wants us to understand the power of our stories we age. Today we chat about how our strength lies in our stories and how to be a better listener. We talk about aging and spirituality including how he reconciled religion with spirituality.
2021
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September 9-11, 2021 - Valletta, Malta
Qualitative Research on Mental Health:Trajectories Towards a New Era - Dr. Randall's presentation it titled "Telling our stories in ways that make us stronger: Narrative resilience, narrative care, and the narrative challenges of later life" for the 2021 QRMH8 conference, University of Malta, Malta Click here for more information 
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Senior Isolation and Narrative Gerontology - Ending Seniors' Isolation One Conversation at a Time.
Professor William (Bill) Randall from St. Thomas University, New Brunswick. With colleagues worldwide, he has been developing an approach to aging called Narrative Gerontology. Narrative Gerontology proposes that, at bottom, we are storytelling creatures, and consciously or otherwise, are continually composing "the story of my life", a complex text that aging itself nudges us to read.
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Aging, Spirituality & Narrative - SPIRITUAL HEALTH GRAND ROUNDS
The Canadian Association for Spiritual Care - Ontario North & East Region - THURS, June 17, 2021 
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"This has been an excellent presentation - I so wish we had another hour to converse."
"This has been a very uplifting presentation. It truly resonates on both a personal and professional level." |
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Dr. Randall - Widening Horizons - The limitless Nature of Spiritual Development - St. Paul’s United Church, Fredericton, NB, Canada
“Widening Horizons: The Limitless Nature of Spiritual Development” is a talk Bill delivered on May 2, 2021, at St. Paul’s United Church, Fredericton, NB. Looking at the notion of “development” in relation to cognitive, psychosocial, moral, and spiritual growth - as well as to our understanding of the universe as a whole - he explores how, from birth to death (and beyond), Life pushes us to steadily widen our horizons. Click on the image to watch the video and accompanying slides. |
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In this podcast Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon and Dr. Bill Randall map out the full story of their respective careers.
Dr. Kenyon and Dr. Randall are respected world-wide for their work in narrative gerontology, narrative care and narrative storytelling. Enjoy! From: Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon's Pathways To Stillness Podcast |
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Shift for Brains welcomes Dr. Bill Randall to talk about how Narrative storytelling is a positive & driving force in our lives.
Shift for Brains is a podcast dedicated to providing a sounding board and an open safe space for people to carry on discussions about difficult and challenging subjects. It is our hope that these conversations will result in shifts to our thinking that will eventually lead to healthy shifts in our society and culture. Shift for Brains is a podcast for those of us who want to move from our society from apathy to empathy and hype to hope. |
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Dr. Randall - Crying Time: The Sacrament of Sadness
St. Paul’s United Church, Fredericton, NB, Canada Dr. Randall delivered a talk on March 28th, 2021 on the inevitability of sadness, why it is necessary and how to move through the sadness with hope and grace. |
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Relational Research
Bill Randall, Professor of Gerontology at St Thomas University, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, speaks about his experience with relational research in the field that he has helped to pioneer: Narrative Gerontology. By recounting several stories from his own life – as a researcher, a teacher, a preacher (i.e., former Protestant minister), and a son to aging parents - he illustrates his deep-seated conviction about how every life has – or IS - a story, one which we are continually “composing” as author, narrator, protagonist, editor, and reader, more or less at once. |
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Honouring that story in all its complexity and mystery, he explains, is key to connecting with others, above all with older adults. His term for such connection is Narrative Care, which he sees as being, at base, about establishing a human-to-human relationship in which storytelling, story listening, and story sharing lie at the heart, a relationship from which all parties come away, to some degree, enriched and transformed. Narrative care, he believes, is thus every bit as critical as other forms of “care” that one might practice, whether in healthcare contexts, academic classrooms, therapeutic settings, research interviews –especially qualitative ones– or, indeed, in ordinary, everyday conversation.
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Narrative Care
On Jan 20, 2021, Bill gave a presentation on Narrative Care to the University of New Brunswick's 1st year nursing students. |
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2020
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Interview: Why Our Stories Matter
Bill Randall is author of In Our Stories Lies Our Strength Gerontology views aging as a problem to be solved, neglecting its potential for growth and fulfillment. So says pioneering gerontologist William (Bill) Randall, in words, that resonate as COVID-19 thrusts the field of aging onto center stage. Click here to read the full interview. |
Aging Horizons Bulletin: Development is a lifelong process, yet few age studies focus on growth in later life. Why is that?
Bill Randall: Yes, development is a lifelong process, no question. We’re developing from the cradle to the grave on countless fronts at once, inside and out. Gerontology has tended to focus on what could be called the “outside” of aging.....Read more here |
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Narrative Gerontology overview by Dr. Randall.
Enjoy this 12 minute video where Dr. Randall discusses the approach to the study of aging, and the power of storytelling. This video was created for St. Thomas University's online course called Intro to Narrative Studies. |
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The Planet's Soul
In this episode Thomas Moore and Dr.Bill Randall explore their views about the larger picture of what life on this planet is all about and our place in it. Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon's Pathways To Stillness Podcast |
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Caring for the Soul Today
In this episode Thomas Moore and Dr.Bill Randall explore their views about the larger picture of what life on this planet is all about and our place in it. Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon's Pathways To Stillness Podcast |
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2019
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November 7, 2019 - New Brunswick, Canada
Brian Mulroney Hall, - “The End of the Story? Narrative Openness in Life and Death” Dr. Bill Randall Delivers John McKendy Lecture St Thomas University, Fredericton, NB, Canada Click here for more information 
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Understanding Death
Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon's Pathways To Stillness Podcast features an interview with Thomas Moore and his Journey as a Monk and Dr. Bill Randall Leaving the Ministry. Enjoy! Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon's Pathways To Stillness Podcast |
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Meaningful Aging and Brain Fitness
In this episode Thomas Moore and Dr. Bill Randall help us understand what the process of aging is about and how you can age meaningfully We learn how Meaningful aging is very different from successful aging, View more from Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon's Pathways To Stillness Podcast |
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March 12, 2019 -Milwaukee, WI
3rd Annual Spirituality Symposium Dr. Bill Randall's presentation Creative Age - Reading Our Lives: The Poetics of Growing Old. Enjoy! 
"He was the best speaker."
Molly |
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2018
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Friday, November 16, 2018
Bill Randall will be presenting at the Spirituality and Aging Seminar. His presentation is titled Spirituality, Aging & Narrative:The Sacred At of Story Listening. READ MORE I appreciated the clear presentation, with an unpretentious presenter who has mapped out well a framework for thinking about story listening, and for telling.
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Thursday, June 14th, 2018 University of Kuopio, Finland Opponent for Dissertation Defence, “How Substance Abusers Use Their Christian Faith in Restorying Their Lives and Thus in Recovery” By Pekka Lund 
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Bill Randall, Dr Hanninen & Pekka Lund
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Monday, July 2, 2018
University Twente, Enchede, Netherlands Narrative Matters 2018, Bill Randall & Gary Irwin-Kenyon workshop: Practicing Narrative Care: Diverse Approaches to Awakening Ordinary Wisdom and Finding Stillness in Your Story READ MORE 
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Bill Randall & Gary Kenyon
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Saturday, April 14, 2018
Mercer University, Atlanta, GA Bill Randall is the conference’s keynote speaker. His address is titled Chaos or Coherence? Interdisciplinarity and Narrative. READ MORE |
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Wednesday, May 30th, 2018
The Wellness Movement, the Department of Social Development’s Wellness Branch - Bill Randall will be presenting on the topic of Fostering Narrative Wellness in Our Communities and Our Lives. |
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2017 & Earlier
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Storying Our Lives: A Narrative Approach to Human Development, Center for the Study of Narrative to Host
Lecture by Internationally Renowned Scholar Dr. W. Randall READ MORE 
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Barb Burnett and William Randall - Change the Aging Narrative, How do we change the narrative on aging to a
positive from the current negative portrayal in media? 
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Dr. Randall's presentation to the Faculty of Education
Storying our lives: A Narrative approach to adult development and aging 
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New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network Interview with St. Thomas University award winning gerontologist William Randall - READ MORE
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Storying our lives: A narrative approach to human development Dr. W. Randall is invited to Tromso of Multidisciplinary research group for health services.
READ MORE 
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Aging by the Book - Dr. Bill Randall
Canadian Broadcast Corporation Ideas with host Paul Kennedy |
A Day For The Ages - Terry Seguin talks to St. Thomas University gerontology professor, Dr. Bill Randall about changing the conversation on aging.
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Taking Care of Our Stories
Print Interview | From Aging Horizons Bulletin Ask William Randall the secret of a happy old age and he will tell you, "Aging Well requires a good strong story." Dr. Randall is professor in gerontology at St. Thomas University in Fredericton (New Brunswick) and director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Narrative. His research has appeared in numerous papers and several books, including Reading Our Lives: The Poetics of Growing Old (with Elizabeth McKim, Oxford University Press). He is listed in 2000 Outstanding Scholars of the 20th Century. Bill Randall: Since earliest times, human beings have been storytelling creatures. We think, feel, decide, learn and believe..... READ MORE |
Creating Meaning From the Stories of Our Lives
Print Interview | From Aging Horizons Bulletin In The Stories We Are: An Essay on Self-Creation (University of Toronto Press), gerontologist William Randall examines life as story. This remarkable volume points to the complexity, mystery and poetry of life, and it reveals why our personal story may be our most precious possession, especially as we get older. Dr. Randall is professor of gerontology at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, N.B., Canada, where he also director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Narrative. His research has giving rise to numerous publications and several books on narrative gerontology, which views aging as a creative process of fashioning meaning and wisdom from the stories of our lives. He is listed in 2000 Outstanding Scholars of the 20th Century. READ MORE |
Cultivating Our Stories
Print Interview | From Aging Horizons Bulletin
In The Stories We Are: An Essay on Self-Creation, award-winning gerontologist William Randall examines life as story. This remarkable volume reveals why our personal story may be our most precious possession, especially as we get older.
READ MORE
Print Interview | From Aging Horizons Bulletin
In The Stories We Are: An Essay on Self-Creation, award-winning gerontologist William Randall examines life as story. This remarkable volume reveals why our personal story may be our most precious possession, especially as we get older.
READ MORE
