Oral storytelling is an ancient art that remains alive to this day. Before the written word, the only way to pass on a culture’s history was to tell the people’s stories to the younger generation. Today storytelling festivals delight people of all ages throughout the world.

So what is storytelling?

The dictionary defines a storyteller as one who tells stories. Today's storytellers, much like their historical counterparts, tell single stories or a series of stories that can be philosophical, truthful or fictitious. Their resources include other storytellers, associations, workshops and schools.

Johnny Moses is a Native American storyteller raised in Ohiat, a village on Vancouver Island. He is a master storyteller, performing traditional and modern stories at festivals, schools and libraries, as well as at corporate and private functions. His proficiency at his craft has taken him to festivals and workshops throughout the United States and Canada..

Another interesting resource site for the storyteller and storytelling fans is Storytelling Resources.

The Vancouver Society of Storytelling is an association for storytellers. Membership fees are $10. The society hosts the Annual Vancouver Storytelling Festival, being held this year (2000) Nov. 3-5. The Vancouver Storytelling Circle, an informal group of storytelling enthusiasts who meet monthly, is part of this society.