Air Pollution Narratives in Context: A Mixed-Method Empirical Study on Literature-Based Workshops with Po Valley High School Students

This exploratory study examines the capacity of “applied literature” to raise air pollution awareness, with a focus on local communities in Po Valley, Italy—an area that has recently garnered international attention for recording some of the highest PM 2.5 pollution levels globally. As a preliminary investigation for the development of the NEST (narrating, embodying, surveying and transmitting) framework, this research analyses a literature-based workshop series conducted in November 2024 in Treviglio, Italy, involving approximately 300 senior high school students. The workshops centred on selected excerpts from past and contemporary works from British literature (Dickens, Gaskell and Armitage) addressing air pollution, combined with participatory educational activities. Using a mixed-method empirical approach, the study analysed questionnaire responses produced by participants before and after the workshop, as well as reflective texts written approximately a week after its conclusion. Findings highlight the quality of the informative and affective impact of the activity, advocating for the integration of a new understanding of approaches to “literature in context”, thus fostering a connection between texts and the urgent local issues within the communities where they are engaged.