Storytellers

The storytellers

They still exist, the storytellers. I am also a storyteller, but I write stories. Storytelling is a completely different art. The storyteller on stage has a dialogue with his audience. I would like to be able to do that too, but I'm more of an introvert. I tell stories as a monologue and hope that the reader understands me and perhaps feels the same. Somewhere out there, there will be people who are kindred spirits to me. This idea inspires me when I write.  The storyteller on stage gets his feedback immediately, he changes his story depending on the feedback of his audience. That's the traditional storyteller of Ireland. I don't want to miss the opportunity to introduce a group of storytellers who still exist, and I have dedicated my first two books to them.

The last person in human history should be a storyteller who tells the story of humanity. Because if no one can tell our story, we have never been.

Now I'll let the storytellers themselves have their say:

The art

Storytelling is an intimate and interactive art. A storyteller tells from memory rather than reading from a book. A tale is not just the spoken equivalent of a literary short story. It has no set text, but is endlessly re-created in the telling. The listener is an essential part of the storytelling process. For stories to live, they need the hearts, minds and ears of listeners. Without the listener there is no story.