The Rich Tradition of Stories

Once upon a time, Silky Stories were told of seal people. Jenny Pearson, an instrumental figure in the storytelling revival over the past couple of decades in London, has heard many such stories, and shares here what it is about their essence that captivates her. She speaks of the influence of Scottish tellers Duncan Williamson and Sheila Stewart, both of whom come from a rich tradition of stories.

Sheila Stewart heralds from a family of tinkers who earned their living from hawking and seasonal farm work, and has been determined to keep her heritage alive by the telling of stories and singing traditional ballads. Here, she tells of a Wandering Tramp Man’s artfulness and cunning. And Jenny tells of the Silky Painter, a seal story she first heard from Duncan.

Feature length 30 mins. More of Sheila Stewart’s stories are available on her CDs from Offspring Records.

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