scottish storytelling blethers centre and network...issue 18spring 2009 scottish storytelling...

BlethersScottish StorytellingCentre and Network

Issue 18 Spring 2009

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR

T: 0131 556 9579 E: [email protected]

www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

The 2009-10 Training andDevelopment Programmeis now available on theStorytelling Centrewebsite and in hard copy.

Continuing last years' five-strand format, this year'sprogramme is split intoTraditions and Skills;Whole Person Learning;Communities, Faiths andCultures; and Health andWellbeing, with the finalsection dedicated to theNewbattle Abbey Collegepartnership.

Traditions and Skills offers a range of skilldevelopment options, from beginners to experiencedtellers. New this year are full day intermediate levelworkshops, exploring how to craft, voice and animatethe story. Also new for 2009 is a ProfessionalDevelopment for Storytellers strand, featuring fiveworkshops aimed specifically at professionalstorytellers and ranging from a workshop on 'SellingYourself: Publicity and Promotion' to masterclasses on‘Hosting Events’ and the ‘Language of the Body’.Facilitators include Marion Kenny, Michael Kerins, JanisMackay, Bob Pegg and Tony Bonning.

Whole Person Learning continues to deliver achoice of CPD events for teachers working across thecurriculum, this year encompassing a specialStorytelling Festival inservice day on Emotional Literacyand events in 2010 on sensory and digital forms ofstorytelling.

CONNECTING WITH STORIES New Training Programme

This strand's first event, Storytelling Schools: WholeSchool Approaches looks at the benefits of a'storytelling school'.

The Communities, Faiths and Cultures strandprovides opportunities for people working across arange of community settings to explore the scope forcultural exchange through storytelling. And here lies anexciting addition to the programme – a five-weekÙlpan Gaelic course for beginners.

Health and Wellbeing has its own strand this yearand features a Life Stories workshop, along with a dayconference on Storytelling and Mental Health, followingon from last year's network development day on thistopic.

The Centre is continuing its fruitful relationship withNewbattle Abbey College to again provide aprofessional development qualification inContemporary Oral Storytelling: Theory and Practice,offering a unit in Practical Skills, followed by theopportunity to gain an additional unit for a projectinvestigating storytelling in a chosen professionalcontext. New for August 2009 is the first NewbattleStorytelling Festival, this year celebrating the 250thanniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.

With such a full and extensive programme, there'ssomething for everyone. Book early to avoiddisappointment!

For more information on the Connecting with Storiesprogramme or other training options provided by theScottish Storytelling Centre, please contact CarolineBudge on [email protected] or

0131 652 3272.

SCOTTI S

HS T

O R Y T E L L I NG

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Bob Pegg leads the way inprofessional development.(photograph: Leo Bruges)

Blethers

STORY FEST HITSTHE MARK Northlandsand SagalandsThe 2008 Scottish InternationalStorytelling Festival has beenhailed as a major success. Overallaudiences increased by over 40%to 17,600 but it was the quality ofthe themed events that caught theimagination of a wider public.

On the last day of the Festivalstorytellers from Scotland met withguest artists and other internationaldelegates to hammer out aEuropean future for the storytellingmeeting. Egged on by the Festival'sown irrepressible Director, Donaldsmith, delegates were shaken andstirred by a day of intensediscussion and brief building.

The day finished with a storysharing, led by Stanley Robertson,and was rounded off perfectly by aNorthlands concert at Festivalpartner venue, The Lot inEdinburgh's Grassmarket.

Visiting storytellers came fromIreland, Iceland, Denmark, Canada,Alaska, Finland, France, Germany,USA, Norway, Sweden andEngland. Greenland had to call offat the last minute. It was all madepossible by the ScottishGovernment's Festival Expo Fundwhich has recognised theimportance of Scotland'sstorytellers as cultural ambassadorsfor our big wee nation.

The theme for the 2009 ScottishInternational Storytelling Festival isHomelands and the dates areFriday 23rd October to Saturday1st November. Put these dates inyour planner now.

Year of HomecomingInspired by the 250th anniversaryof Robert Burns' birth,Homecoming is turning into ageneral celebration of Scotland'sheritage and culture, its globalconnections, and its traditions ofhospitality.

So, on all counts, storytelling isessential for local projects, eventsand tours through the year.

Homecoming will also be theinspiration for Tell-A-Story-Dayon Friday 30th October 2009.Here are some of the ideas thatpeople have run with so far:

researching the stories andinternational connections of ourcommunity to feed into otherprojects and communications;

establishing the main threadsfor presentation in leaflets, liveevents and on websites;

holding a 'Past and Present'open day or days

establishing trails, routes andstorytelling walks throughleaflets and live events;

holding a local HomecomingFestival or Gathering;

holding Homecoming suppersand/or ceilidhs with appropriatemusic, stories and poems;

considering outdoor fairs,gatherings, services, seasonalwalks, communal picnics, etc;

contributing a Homecomingevent of the kind mentionedabove to an already existingFestival;

identifying key 'storytellers' andcommunicators who can helppeople celebrate their ownculture/heritage and share itwith others;

involving schools, faithcommunities and otherorganisations in projects orevents, sharing stories, songs,memories and hopes for thefuture;

considering the place of Scotsand Gaelic in our culturalheritage and diversity.

Please let the Storytelling Centreoutreach team know about yourideas and projects, so that we canpromote and publicise them.

Note Learning & Teaching Scotlandwill be providing online Homecomingresources from a national perspective.

2 www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

Scotland is a leading centreworldwide for thinking aboutstorytelling and IT in education.The researchers here have tappedinto the skills of live storytellersand the cultural appeal ofstorytelling across society.

A lot of the research is a bit arcaneand technical, but now our ownJudy Robertson – Judy Seymour inmarried disguise – has worked with

an international team to set out theissues and the possibilities.

Inside Stories: a Narrative Journeyfeatures a bunch of teachers,researchers and kids on a train tripacross Europe on an educationaljolly.

En route nearly every aspect ofstorytelling and IT is explored, withopportunities, issues and practical

ideas. This is that rare thing –academics wanting to beunderstood and to help out. That,of course, has been the StorytellingCentre and Network's experienceof Judy. Congratulations to Judyand the team.

Inside Stories can be downloadedor ordered online at www.lulu.com

(ISBN: 1409205104)

Inside Stories Digi-Storytelling in Education

3www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk


CHANTICA Patsy Forges Scotland-Slovakia links

Last year in Blethers I wrote aboutvisiting Slovakia along withAuchindrain Museum, Argyll. Theplan was to meet and hearSlovakian storytellers and take thetales back to Auchindrain. Thisdidn't happen and instead mademe come away sad butdetermined.

From 21st to 25th July 2008,'CHANTICA', a wonderful projecttook place at Auchindrain.'CHANTICA' stands for 'Culture,Heritage and Nature Together inContemporary Art' and includedorganisations Grampus Heritage &Training Limited (North WestEngland) and ARCH (Scotland),working in partnership withAuchindrain Museum, VitraSustainable Development(Slovenia), STROPEK (Slovakia) ande-ISTOS (Greece). The eventinvolved disadvantaged youngpeople from Slovakia, Slovenia,Greece, Scotland and NorthEngland, and the group’s visit toScotland was hosted by JoanneHowdle, Curator at AuchindrainMuseum.

The aim for the participants was toinvestigate an element of the localcultural landscape, includingmusic, dance, myths and legends,traditional skills and crafts. Therewere many events available to theparticipants including basket andfelt making, Gaelic waulking andwood turning, as well asstorytelling. I ran four full-dayworkshops, two of which werefurther enhanced by the wonderfulmusic and storytelling of my sister,Marion Kenny. Participants alsohad the opportunity to share talesfrom their own countries anddiscuss the similarities.

The workshops involved theresearch I had undertaken earlier inthe year on Auchindrain, thanks toa bursary from the Scottish ArtsCouncil, and included the subjects:'Travellers and Drovers of Argyll','Myths and Crafts of Argyll','Agriculture and Medicine ofAuchindrain' and 'ScottishCustoms and Celebrations', thelatter of which was handed toMarion with her musical expertiseand humorous Scottish tales.

The fourth workshop was a 'tie up'of the previous three days. Storiescomposed by the participants wereperformed, along with a very funnystory employed by Marion theprevious day. Everyone provided anexcellent performance before alarge crowd, even though manyhad said they could never do sucha thing at the start of the week.

No one bowed out, even the shyestparticipant agreed she hadamassed confidence that week.The day was hot and sunny andthe large crowd that had gatheredat Auchindrain were veryappreciative.

After the performance, oneSlovakian student, Ivan, agreedstorytelling was consideredworthless in his country, evendangerous, with the dark,mysterious forms of life and deathoften portrayed. But he nowwanted to go home and start astorytelling group in his home town.

A month or so after the event I hadan email from Ivan. He hadtranslated a 200-year-old Slovakiantale for me. He said he wasworking on another and that hisvisit to Scotland had awakened hisdesire to find his native tales.

I told the story he sent me as partof my evening of tales for theScottish International StorytellingFestival, held at Auchindrain onOctober 31st. It was indeed veryscary and dark but was receivedwith much applause. I await thesecond tale with anticipation.

Patsy Dyer

CREATING CREATIVESCOTLANDObservers of the cultural scene willknow that this year the ScottishGovernment will make a secondattempt to merge the Scottish ArtsCouncil and Scottish Screen into anew national cultural agency,Creative Scotland.

There has been a lot of presscoverage of this change, some of itquite alarmist. The ScottishStorytelling Forum has beenactively campaigning and lobbyingto achieve three things:

1

Increased support for individual artists,including storytellers

2

Continued support for the ScottishStorytelling Centre and Network

3

Increased funding for local storytellingand arts development.

Our sense is that 1. and 2. areachievable but that 3. increasinglydepends on local authority andlottery funding, both of which arebeing squeezed.

Like all cultural activists, thestorytelling movement will have tobe very resourceful and imaginativein bringing the right people, moneyand projects together over the nextfew years.

As the recession bites, we have agreat opportunity to reconnectpeople with core personal, socialand creative values through thepower of storytelling.

Patsy at beautiful Auchindrain


Blethers

Angela Visits Pearl of Persia

Five years ago, I was transcribinginto a computer the handwrittentravel accounts of a friend's visitto Iran. As I read about thepalaces, mosques, gardens andbridges of Isfahan I thought,'What a beautiful place,' but knewI would never see it. And yet, justbefore Christmas 2008, that isexactly where I found myself.

This was the 12th InternationalStorytelling Festival in Iran,organised by the Kanoon Institutefor the Intellectual Development ofChildren and Young Adults, whichruns many arts programmesacross the country, includingtraining storytellers who work withchildren. Each year there areregional competitions, the winnersfrom which are invited to theStorytelling Festival which takesplace in a different city each year.

This year the theme was 'ReligiousStories'. There were forty-fiveIranian tellers and guests fromTurkmenistan, Afghanistan,Holland, Norway, Zimbabwe andmyself, representing Scotland.

On the first morning I met mytranslator, a lovely young womancalled Masah, and we set to workon how we would tell my one 10-minute (!!) story together. In theafternoon I visited the largest andoldest bazaar in Iran, parts ofwhich are 1,300 years old, and theJameh Mosque.

I have a memory from that day thatI will remember all my life. It wassunset and cold. Two women fromNorway and I were sitting on aterrace outside a teashop abovethe great square in the centre ofthe city, with the two blue-tiledmosques, the palace, and behindthem the setting sun and themountains turning pink. Theteashops were where men oncelistened to fabulous Persian storiesand now here we were, drinkingtea and telling Persian folktalestogether.

In the evening there was awelcome meeting and dinner forthe international guests at which I

began to understand the scope ofKanoon's work across Iran; eachnon-Farsi speaking guest had hisor her own interpreter available allday long from that time until theend of the festival.

The festival began at 8.30 the nextmorning with a long openingceremony in the main theatre, witha recitation from the Koran, theNational Anthem, poems by Hafez,and the story of Moses and theburning bush told by an excellentteller from Northern Iran. Theaudience was a mixture of primaryschool children, Kanoon and localdignitaries and the sixty or sostorytellers.

Then just before I was to tell, nearlyall the children left! Nevertheless Ienjoyed telling and the audiencewere receptive, and from thefeedback I received Iranian tellerssaw something helpful and heard astory they can tell themselves. Iappreciated watching otherstorytellers but wished very muchthat I could speak Farsi.

It was interesting though to watchother storytellers and experiencemyself the various ways to workwith translation. This is a veryinteresting area that could bedeveloped further in Scotland andelsewhere. It can be very creativeto work with a translator - there areafter all two bodies and two voices.

My other small regret was that,considering how much of the pasttwenty years I have spent telling,

teaching and generally beingimmersed in 'religious stories', I feltI could have contributed a greatdeal more to this theme. And yet Iam also felt very honoured to havebeen invited and had thisexperience. I understand moreabout life for Iranians in theircountry and really appreciate thefreedom that I have as a woman towork and express myself freely,and I became curious about thelong history of Persia, its cultureand stories. It was, all in all, afantastic experience.

On my last night I was presentedwith literally armfuls of presentsincluding a copy of the Koran, anextraordinary award like an Oscarand a GOLD MEDAL!!!! I had achance, on the way to the airportto go home, to stand for a fewminutes on one of the lovelyancient bridges. It was builtbetween the Christian and Muslimquarters many centuries ago andthe two groups would meet on thebridge to trade. Now it is a placewhere people stroll and look downthrough its thirty-three arches tothe river below. Through one of thearches shone a huge star – itlooked like a living, magicalChristmas card. I left that bridge,climbed into a car and left forhome and for Christmas with aPersian carpet and several kilos of'gaz' pistachio nougat, to driveeveryone crazy with stories of it all.

Angela Knowles

Angela performs with translator Masah


Millie Shares Debut Author Success

For any storyteller who feelsinspired by the initial success ofmy first novel could I encouragethem to start writing. Indeed itwas the numerous requests fromaudiences for a written copy ofmy stories that spurred me towrite them up. The result of this ismy initial very successful novel Ina Class of Their Own.

Yes, at the start you will find itdifficult to accept the discipline tochange from 'oral' to 'written' and,like myself, you may decide youneed time and space to familiariseyourself with the difference – afterall you cannot rely on your bodylanguage, facial expression and thevery important hand gestures toput over your meaning – all has tobe conveyed by the written word.

To assist me in giving my stories asolid structure I decided to write inboth English and colloquial Scotsand place all the stories in afictional family but in an identifiablecommunity.

The result is that inthe Campbell familymany readers easilyidentify with thesnapshots created –they see this is whothey were and thatsimilar thingshappened to them.

Public enthusiasmfor the novel hasresulted in the smallindependentpublisher, whoassisted me to get recognition formy written work, to accept theoffer of the larger Leith-basedpublisher, Black and White, to takeover the responsibility for mycurrent novel and proposedsequel. With regard to thisproposed sequel I will again taketime out to concentrate on it.However, once I have completedthe novel I hope to return to givingback more time to live storytellingwhere I get instant satisfaction inconnecting with and entertaining alive audience.

Her father called her 'Heather theBlether' and it remains a term ofaffection in Craigmillar, where shehas lived all her life. HeatherHenderson is the nurse andstoryteller who combines her loveof stories with total dedication asjunior charge nurse of a largetrauma unit at an Edinburghhospital.

Eleven years ago storyteller ClaireMcNicol invited her to be avolunteer at a children's projectwhere she talked about her job asa nurse. Part of her intention wasto make things easier for a pupilwho was having to go into hospital.

The whole thing developed untilshe eventually became a regular inschools, not only in Craigmillar butmuch further afield as aprofessional teller of tales. "Butwherever I go," she says, "I mustadmit that I enjoy telling storiesbest in Craigmillar."

That's no surprise as Heather'sfamily has firm roots in the areaand she has been an activecommunity worker for more thanthirty years. Through it she becameinvolved in research projects whichare placing on record thechequered, lively past of an area ofEdinburgh that has its own castle,played an important role in thehistory of Scotland and made avast contribution to the industrialdevelopment of the Lothians. "Youmust know your own history," shesays. "How can you plan the futurewithout that?"

She has lived through changes inan area that has seen one housingscheme replaced by another, andeven now considerabledevelopment going on and theresidents scattered widely. But likemany other people in Craigmillarshe remains a champion of it andis glad to see people now movingback into the district and buying

Millie Gray, storyteller and author(photograph: Reuben Paris)

Finally, it doesn't matter whichroute you decide to follow – be itoral storytelling, listening to stories,reading stories, writing stories –what is important is that you areengaging in the magic of story andinteracting with others who alsoenjoy and benefit from thetherapeutic influence of story.

Millie Gray

In a Class of their Own(ISBN: 1845022564) is available to buyfrom Black and White Publishing onlineat www.blackandwhitepublishing.com oron 0131 625 4500.

Why a Storytelling Nurse Cares for Craigmillar

homes there with their families."Though we are going through somany changes, the communityspirit still exists," she says.

Her community work dates backmuch further than her storytelling,for she is a member of a giftedfamily who were involved in musicand drama. She met her husband,Kevin through the drama group inthe area and her sister, FayeMilligan, was a professional actorand director who devoted thirtyyears to the arts in Craigmillar.

Sadly, Faye died while on holiday inSpain in 2003, a shock to thefamily and to the whole community.But Heather decided she shouldnot be forgotten and set up aninitiative which has delighted andencouraged the schools in the areasince.

continued on page 7



Blethers

Meeting with Stories An Australian Journey

On November 4th 2008, I set off,wrapped up against the near zerotemperature, guiding a hugebrand new case with four swivelwheels.

During the two night flights Irehearsed my itinerary: in Adelaide Iwould be picked up by Colin, myeldest son; at the weekend wewould celebrate Hannah andRyan's birthdays; there would bethe visit to the University ofBallarat; then a visit to my nephewin Melbourne, all at a temperatureundreamed of in Scotland. I arrivedwell-slept at 9am in Adelaide,where I was met by Colin, Hannahand Ryan.

After the birthday celebrations onNovember 11th, I joined theRemembrance DayCommemoration andGrandparents Day at Reynella EastPrimary School. Many of the 1,200guests were wearing servicemedals and it seemed that manyex-servicemen had decided tomake a new life with their family inSouth Australia. A Cameronianwho had been in the D-Daylandings told me some storieswhich were delivered in a way thatcould rival Chick Murray.

Looking round, it became obviousthat people had come here to seektheir fortune from all over Europeand Asia – just the place for a LifeStories group.

I was invited to tell stories in schooland, as in Scotland, the childrenloved stories and were not put offby a strange accent. There did notseem to be any storytellers workingin schools although there were somany stories and rhymes that thechildren were sharing.

Due to hours spent looking atatlases, many places carry afascination for me: Samarkand,Alma Ata, Lombok, NizhniyNovgorod, Mohacs, Madagascar,Ballarat and Bendigo. Ballarat livedup to the magical expectations.The centre is still Victorian but notlike Edinburgh and Glasgow – itresembled the towns in theAmerican Deep South. A visit toSovereign Hill, a reconstruction ofthe Goldrush settlement, was full ofstories and questions.

Did all the Chinese miners get backhome? There is no evidence inBallarat of their presence or of theuprisings of the miners whoobjected to paying governmenttaxes and faced the military mightof the British Empire. At thebookshop, a Catalan womanshared her experience of beingbrought up in Franco's Spain andfeeling that her culture had beentaken away, however she did sharea Catalan children's rhyme.

The Smoking Ceremony took placein the countryside, near a lakewhere a fire was made of greenbranches by Ted Lovett, one of the'Lost Generation' who were takenaway from their families in the1940's. His story was of how hemanaged to get back to his ownpeople and how by protest andlobbying, the Australian PrimeMinister issued a formal apology toTed's people. After the SmokingCeremony we had a shared mealand stories with the owners of theproperty who were Baha'is andhad escaped from persecution inIran.

The animals in Australia are thestuff stories are made of and Idiscovered two that were calling tobe storified: the frilled lizard and the

leafy sea dragon. To tell the truth, Ididn't see them in the flesh,however the pictures I saw onlyencouraged me to create somePourquoi stories.

The Singapore StorytellingCircle has been meeting regularlysince 1999 and you may have metSheila Wee and RosemarieSomaiah who are foundermembers when they visitedScotland. The Circle is an informalgathering of professionalstorytellers, storytellers and peoplewho like listening to stories. Themembers are diverse – Chinese,Indian, Malay, Israeli and English –and it was there that I heard themost moving story. An Indianstoryteller, Arundati, first explainedthe effect the Mumbai Massacreshad on her, and how shequestioned how this could havehappened by going back to herHindu belief and a story of a veryyoung boy who felt called to thereligious life and went through Indiaseeking spiritual teachers. Thestory embodied trust, caring,hospitality to the stranger andrespect for the searcher. The tellingwas magnificent. This was the bestpresent of my journey.

Senga Munro

Senga wows young audiences


An Equity Ambassador Speaks

If you are a professional storyteller,have you ever asked yourself justhow you might go about gainingsupport, advice, guidance andprotection concerning contracts?

Equity is the only trade union thatrepresents artists from across theentire spectrum of arts andentertainment, and this includesstorytellers.

On 16th and 17th November,twelve Scottish based artists(including myself) of many artdisciplines, attended an 'EquityAmbassador' course in Edinburgh.

Facillitated by the TUC, the coursehelped the aspiring EquityAmbassador to learn how to workwith members and Equity deputies,to ensure that members' interestsare represented by offeringinformation, support, and topromote the union to non-members, especially concerning itsservices and benefits.

Trainee Ambassadors learned howto develop skills and knowledgeabout their role; more about theunion's policies; how to buildcontacts within the union and withoutside organisations; and how tosupport members, representingtheir interests so that all people aretreated fairly in all aspects of work,with open and just procedures fordealing complaints, grievances,and recruitment.

The Equity Ambassador is not aprofessionally paid trade unionofficial as such, but is a personwho has a genuine concern for theprofessional – or the aspiringprofessional – artist's wellbeing.

Having been a full member for overtwelve years, I have enjoyedbenefits including free legal adviceconcerning TV and film contracts,royalties and repeat fees, freecommercial collection and recoveryservices, and public liabilityinsurance.

Benefits of membership alsoinclude advice on welfare support,help with non-work related matters,medical support, rights andcopyrights, not to mentionregisters, directories, publications,such as Equity Magazine, Reviewof the Year, Guide to Health and

Safety, Annual Report, and manyothers. Members can also applyfor an Equity credit card and the'Dance Passport'. The automaticpublic liability insurance that comeswith full membership covers up to£10,000,000! Loss or damage topersonal effects is also coveredbackstage, along with accident orinjury at work, including death byaccident, even to and from work.

But Equity is more than just aunion, having also endlessnetworking possibilities for themember, by way of joining a localbranch and meeting artists of otherdisciplines. The Equity card alsoentitles members to a range ofdiscounts and concessions,including lower cost gas andelectricity supplies. Equity's JobInformation Service is available topaid up members and now has anew service that will make itpossible for members to uploadtheir interview online for filmdirectors casting for new films.Equity also has a StudentMembership Scheme open to anystudent on a full-time course.

For a minimum of £100 perannum, (an allowable expense), allye professional or part-timeprofessional storytellers shouldconsider taking up membership.Membership forms can be senthard copy or can be found online.

Find out more atwww.equity.org.uk or contact meon [email protected]

I'm proud to be a member ofEquity!

Paraig MacNeil

Paraig MacNeil, Equity Ambassador


Why a Storytelling Nurse Cares for Craigmillarcontinued from page 5

The Faye Milligan Arts Award ispresented annually to a school pupilwho is named as the most promisingin the arts. The name is inscribed on ahandsome trophy which remains ondisplay in the school for a whole year.The child receives a certificate and theschool a gift of £200 to be spentexclusively on some artistic purpose. Itgoes without saying that the £200 israised every year by Heather herselfand supporters. Raffles, concerts andtalent shows assist in this and anexhibition of Faye's work over thirtyyears recognised her contribution tothe residents and raised more funds.

"One of Faye's favourite things wasteaching school children a specialsong, 'Craigmillar Now', which hadbeen written for us in the Seventies bythe Rev Douglas Galbraith, a Church ofScotland minister and musician.

"We got to know it as the 'Craigmillarnational anthem' and for the exhibitionI taught it to thirty present day pupils invarious schools who sang it for thevisitors. It was amazing that many oftheir parents – and even somegrandparents – who were present,remembered being taught the song byDouglas so many years ago."

Heather’s enthusiasm for history hasled to her working with popular localpersonality, Helen Crummy, whosecontribution to the arts festivals inCraigmillar is legendary. Helen's book,Whom Dykes Divide, which is a historyof the mining industry, and hercollection of archival material hascreated widespread interest. Thankfullyit is to be preserved for the benefit ofall when the new Craigmillar Library iscompleted. On the top floor, Heathersays, the material will be available forthe public, researchers and schoolchildren to study.

For Helen and Heather such adevelopment recognises what theyhave always known is a priority – thepreservation and the passing on ofone's own history. Already Heather hasput together some stories based onHelen's book on the miners and theWauchopes of Craigmillar, Niddrie andNewcraighall which she tells to schoolchildren. She has also written a'carnival of the animals' sequence foran Edinburgh Council project whichfeatures a lion and an elephant. Butthat's another story...

Ann Davies


Issue 18 Spring 2009Blethers

BOOK BLETHERS

Storytellers continue to take toprint like ducks to water. JohnBarrington's Out of the Mists is acracking set of his tales from thesouthern Highlands and theLowlands. It is a one-man ceilidhand a pleasure to ear and eye.

As we go to press, both StanleyRobertson and David Campbell areabout to blossom with major books.Stanley's Reek Roon the CampFire is a collection of 'muckle tales'and sure to delight fans andnewcomers alike.

David seems a hard man to coaxinto print, but Linda Williamson hasprovided editorial backbone. HisOut of the Mouth of the Morningfrom Luath is a rich and eloquentexpression of the art and spirit.

Meanwhile your columnist has been'burning the midnight oil' with twobooks on the national bard. Godthe Poet and the Devil: RobertBurns and Religion is areinterpretation of the poet's liveand work in the light of his deepestvalues.

Between Ourselves is a scandaloustreatment of Burns' time inEdinburgh. Is it a revelation or abesmirching? I could not possiblycomment. More storytelling titlesare on their way and will becovered, as they appear, on theStorytelling Centre websitewww.scottishstorytellingcentre.com

Chuckies Fir the CairnWhit a virr an stir we hae nooaboot the Scots leid – an nae aforetime. Scots fair gurgles an spurglesan sings in the mooths o bairns anauld yins alike.

Ah hae muckle pleisur therefore inhingin oot thae thrie buiks fur yermindin – Tapsalteerie and ItherTales, Fit Like, Yer Majesty?, andChuckies Fir the Cairn.

The first wan o thae thrie is thewark o oor ain Meg Tollick. Herrhymes an tales gang thegither angie aabody delicht. As fur the DoricFit Like, Yer Majesty?, SheenaBlackhall his a muckle haun in theplay an its aa oot o the Readin Busin Aberdeen, whaur Grace Banks isaften tae the fore.

The Chuckies hae been gaitherit byRab Wilson, wha is Ayrshire'smakar nouveau. Keep a gleg ee furhis owersettin o 'Holy Wullie'sPrayer' as 'Holy Gordon's (Broon)Prayer'. Hoosoever, it's ower nippytae be in this buik.

Aa in aa thrie bonnie glintinbawbees. The tale-tellours, makarsan abune aa the bairns ur mintinthe leid anew. It gies aabody a bitcheer in doolie days.

Donald Smith

Out of the MistsJohn Barrington (Luath)ISBN: 1905222339£7.99

Reek Roon the Camp FireStanley Robertson (Birlinn)ISBN: 1841587950£9.99

Out of the Mouth of the MorningDavid Campbell (Luath)ISBN: 1906307938£8.99

God, the Poet and the Devil:Robert Burns and ReligionDonald Smith (St Andrew Press)ISBN: 0715208762£9.99

Between OurselvesDonald Smith (Luath) ISBN: 1906307929£8.99

Chuckies Fir the CairnRab Wilson (ed) (Luath)ISBN: 1906817057£8.99

Fit Like, Yer Majesty?: a book ofDoric poemsThe Reading Bus (Aberdeen UniversityElphinstone Kist)ISBN: 0955890420£6.99

Tapsalteerie and Ither TalesMargaret Tollick (Windfall Books)ISBN: 0955726422£8.99

Scottish Storytelling Centre43-45 High StreetEdinburgh EH1 1SRT: 0131 556 9579E: reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.comwww.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

scottish storytelling blethers centre and network...issue 18spring 2009 scottish storytelling...

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