Scotland welcomes the world for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival

THE Scottish International Storytelling Festival kicks off on the 20th September.

The festival is the world’s largest celebration of traditional storytelling.

The 12-day event will see guests from around the globe join Scottish tellers in a tribute to oral traditions and cultural diversity.

Donald Smith, Storytelling Festival Director, said this year’s festival is a ‘global first’.

He said: “We are making Edinburgh the world’s storytelling capital. Storytelling connects across borders of culture, race, class, religion and politics.

“This year’s Festival shows what a connected kind of place Scotland has always been and highlights Edinburgh’s international reputation of welcome and hospitality.”

The jam-packed programme boasts a variety of fascinating events and activities. 69 events will take place in Edinburgh and a further 29 will occur across the country – from Glasgow to Orkney.

For families, there are two free interactive events that’ll keep the kids (and the adults!) entertained. First is the Family Samhuinn day (29 Oct), which was a huge hit last year, and the second is a ‘marathon storytelling’ event called ‘The Devil and the Clutch of Fools’ (31 Oct) – full of spooky stories to get the kids ready for guising.

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For those who’d like to combine their love of stories with the outdoors, the annual ‘Enchanted Garden’ afternoon will take place at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh on 22nd October.

To embrace the international dimension of the festival, ‘Open Hearth’ evenings will pair Scottish artists with visiting tellers.

The festival will culminate in a special ‘Ossian Supper’, where guests will enjoy a Celtic Feast around Scotland’s ancient bard.

In a new development, supported by Edinburgh City Council and Festivals Edinburgh, the SISF will have a thirty strong team of Festival Volunteers, which include ‘Storyguides’ who will train in how to use ‘stories on location’ to enhance Edinburgh for Festival visitors.

Scottish International Storytelling Festival: Open Word – Open World, Friday 20 – Tuesday 31 October
www.tracscotland.org/storytellingfestival