University lecture

Storytelling: entertaining, subversive and wise
A look at just some aspects of this, the oldest art of all

I often lead teacher-training workshops for university departments.
But in December 2003 I was invited by the English Faculty to come to the University of Sassari, Sardinia, for something rather different.
This was to be the final event of the autumn term and open to students and staff from all faculties.

They left it up to me to decide what I wanted to do.
I knew that they did not want a workshop (which is what I normally do at universities). And I suspected that they needed at least a touch of the academic to flavour the event.

So instead of a normal performance I chose a variety of tales to illustrate different aspects of storytelling:

  • Tales subversive and of gender reversal
  • Tales of growth and learning
  • Tales of wisdom and truth
  • Tales of death
  • Tales to entertain

Between the stories I gave a few comments on these aspects.

The result was Storytelling: entertaining, subversive and wise, either a 90-minute illustrated lecture – or a commented performance, depending on how you want to look at it.

It was great fun for me – and the hundred students and staff assured me it had been for them, too.
(And that is a story I am always prepared to believe!)

So if your university is looking for a lecture which is a little out of the usual, I should be delighted to hear from you.

Go here for tales to watch

Go here for a list of all tales included on this site

Go here to receive an e-mail notification when new tales are added

Permission to tell outlines my views on copyright

For those who are teachers: Telling stories in the classroom: basing language teaching on storytelling