Research as a Story: Creating a knowledge translation zine

This knowledge translation product in the form of an art and storytelling zine was created as a submission to the SSHRC Storytellers Challenge, exploring public discourse on the ongoing drug overdose crisis in Canada & the growing attention to involuntary substance use as a potential intervention. The zine presents this complex issue through a vivid and relatable garden metaphor, using clear, accessible language to engage a general audience.

Central to this work is the idea that how we define and understand a problem shapes the solutions we render imaginable. The zine invites readers to reflect on dominant framings of the overdose crisis, which often position its most visible manifestations as the primary issue, rather than recognizing them as symptoms of broader structural conditions shaped by historical and contemporary social and drug policies.

By encouraging a more systemic understanding, this work aims to expand how audiences think about policy responses, shifting attention toward upstream, effective, equitable, and culturally relevant policy approaches. It emphasizes the importance of comprehensive solutions that address root causes while upholding the dignity and humanity of all people.

The zine ultimately seeks to foster critical reflection on how narratives shape policy imagination and public response.

The full zine can be accessed here.