I really enjoyed my conversation with Fiona. She was one of the first professional UK storytellers and tells with great verve, commitment and humour. She was one of the first people to complete a PhD in storytelling and is a pioneer in the field of education and storytelling and was a founder member of the brilliant and brazen Ogresses storytelling group. She has made her home in Wales and regularly tells stories from the Mabinogi to a variety of audiences in Welsh and English. She also speaks French, Italian and Russian!

She leads creative writing groups and has published three books of Welsh folktales and is currently working on the fourth, all with the History Press.

A professional storyteller since 1989, Fiona’s previous background was in Children’s Theatre, TIE, primary and special needs teaching and educational advisory work, and with the Co-operative Games movement, New Games UK.

In this podcast Fiona talks inspiringly about many things including…

• The inspiration of The Owl Service by Alan Garner

• The importance of the courses run at Tŷ newydd by Eric Maddern and Hugh Lupton

• The way the continuity of landscape and place names links very old stories with tellers and audiences today

• Cooking as a metaphor for the art of the storyteller

• The difference between the writer’s and the storyteller’s attitudes to traditional narrative

• The value and joy on working on collaborative projects

• Closing the gap between audience and teller

• Dreaming up projects

• The connection with Welsh language and culture

All the Monday Mabinogi interviews can be found on this site by clicking here, or on of the following podcasting links Apple Podcasts Spotify Buzzsprout Stitcher.

Here are some links to places and events that Fiona mentions in her podcast… Tŷ Newydd, Eric Maddern, Hugh Lupton, June Peters, Mabinogi Festival in Aberystwyth, Christine Cooper, Cath Little