Tololwa Mollel is a children’s author, dramatist and storyteller, who has written seventeen internationally published books and several plays as well as stories that he created or adapted for performance.
Born in Tanzania, it was not until Mollel went to study in Canada that he realized the depth of experience related in the childhood stories his grandfather told him. His work has been translated into many languages, including his native Kiswahili, Tanzania’s national language. Of his presentations and his work with schools, libraries and communities, Mollel says, “I aim to provide a feast of words – written and spoken – for the eye, the ear and the mind; as well as for the creative imagination, and for performance.”
Mollel has increasingly come to combine the arts of storytelling, story making and theater into story performance , collaborating with musicians and other artists.

Clara Dugas is a proud Acadian from Nova Scotia.
After 35 years teaching elementary school, she retired, and soon found her second calling as a storyteller. Clara's childhood memories and years of teaching, have provided her with many hilarious stories, and she also loves to share tales from her Acadian heritage.
For Tribute Tales Clara shares a wise tale about a very foolish character!

Lee Porteous has been telling stories since joining the Victoria Storytellers’ Guild in 2006. She tells all sorts of tales, but ghost stories hold a special place in her repertoire.
Lee has a favourite memory of performing spooky tales at a performance in Edmonton's oldest cemetery. More recently, she's switched to digital platforms, sharing tales and hosting events on Zoom, including a National Storytelling Day concert for Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada. For Tribute Tales, Lee shares a wee Scottish tale in honour of Robbie Burns Day!

Elinor Benjamin, is the current president of Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada, and a recipient of its "Storykeeper" award, given in appreciation for her years of service at the administrative and executive levels.
Elinor is also a keen member of the Storytellers Circle of Halifax where she enjoys opportunities to share traditional folktales, fairytales, and myths with audiences of all ages at venues throughout her community. For Tribute Tales, Elinor shares a Norse legend guaranteed to make you shiver!

Celia Lottridge, is originally from Iowa but has lived in Canada for many years. She's a co-founder of Storytelling Toronto, and author of many award-winning children's books.
Celia enjoys telling both family stories and traditional tales, and has taught storytelling classes for decades. Recently, she has focused more on her writing, but still can't resist the opportunity to tell a tale when given the right opportunity. For Tribute Tales, Celia shares her father's story of growing up on a farm in southern Alberta, and his attachment to a very special horse.

Jeff Stockton’s mark is woven on the strings of his harp, as he draws listeners into the world of Celtic heritage and traditions. An accomplished musician, storyteller, author, illustrator and public speaker, he has traveled nationally and internationally, creating a strong rapport with his audiences.
Jeff's award-winning Cd recordings and live performances showcase the combined power of story & song to captivate our hearts and minds.
For Tribute Tales, Jeff shares an Irish story about a poor peddler whose lifetime of generosity brought its own reward.

Danica Lorer has been a professional storyteller for more than 20 years. She collects and imagines stories and pictures throughout Saskatchewan and beyond. She follows the highway as a ribbon tying her to the amazing sky, clear water, words on the wind, and beautiful people. Danica tells tales to audiences of all ages at festivals, libraries, schools, extended care homes, and wherever she may find willing ears ready to listen to a good story.
For Tribute Tales, Danica relates her true adventure of tangling with a summer lightning storm.

Catherine MacKenzie, an avid collector of tales, fell in love with storytelling in the bayous of Louisiana, and is always thrilled to find a new story to share. Though she's now based in North Carolina, Catherine spent a number of years in Alberta where she was active in the storytelling community. She is particularly drawn to hauntingly beautiful stories with strong female characters, and short vignettes that paint vivid pictures in listeners' minds.

Jerry Haigh is a Kenya-born, Glasgow-schooled, wildlife veterinarian who has traveled extensively and worked with species ranging from Canadian polar bears, to African Elephants to New Zealand deer. Along the way he's written several highly entertaining books, including his latest, "Reindeer Reflections," about his time in Mongolia. As you might expect, Jerry is a great storyteller- so buckle up and settle in for the ride!
For Tribute Tales, Jerry tells of his adventures with Reindeer herders in Mongolia.

“Tell it again!” That's a response June Brown often hears from her audiences. June's interactive programs include puppets, music and a felt board, helping children develop their literacy skills while being well entertained. June also shares stories with adults, encouraging them to re-discover the power of imagination and experience fun, laughter, suspense and amazement.
For Tribute Tales, June tells a touching personal story about the powerful memories that surface when an adult child goes through their late parent's possessions.

Over the years, Mary Louise Chown has taken storytelling in many innovative directions, both artistically and geographically. With drum, hammered dulcimer, and a close attention to the music of language, her creative approach connects the worlds of the ordinary and the extraordinary. Mary Louise has co-founded several storytelling initiatives, including the Manitoba Storytelling Guild. She's also travelled extensively, gathering and sharing her favourite stories.
For Tribute Tales, Mary Louise shares a story set on the banks of Manitoba's legendary Red River.

Auður Magnúsdóttir is from Iceland where she lives with her husband and two sons, and works as an environmental consultant. Auður and her family once spent several years in Calgary where fate intervened, and she was introduced to storytelling and TALES (now Storytelling Alberta.) Auður was invited to participate in the group's retelling of the Icelandic Saga "Grettir the Strong" in Markerville, AB. Until then, her only public speaking experience was a retelling of "The Hobbit" to an eager coworker at a summer job in her teenage years.
For Tribute Tales, Auður tells her story of how an Icelander met a Saga in Alberta!

Judith Poirier is renowned across Canada as a superb teller of stories in both English and French, often weaving between the two, much to the delight of her audiences. Her repertoire includes stories from her French-Canadian heritage, family legends and personal tales, and world folktales. In recognition of her unique talent and repertoire, Judith was chosen to be a featured teller in the StorySave CD collection produced by Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada.
For Tribute Tales, Judith regales us with a tale about a cagey rooster and a wily fox.

Dean Verger has been writing and telling stories since the early 1980s. His repertoire includes his own take on feature length tales such as Moby Dick, and Dracula, and he also enjoys researching and telling maritime tales. For many years Dean ran a successful Ottawa cafe which featured folk music, theatrical events, epic storytelling, and free gallery space to visual artists. And, just to keep things interesting, he's also worked as a professional dog trainer!
For Tribute Tales, Dean shares a wee story about a couple of Monks. Be sure to hang on for the blooper at the end!

Jennifer Cayley believes storytelling is an essential part of human interaction. As a teller, she invites listeners of all ages into a shared experience of imagination and creativity. Her varied repertoire includes epic, traditional, historical, autobiographical, and literary material. Jennifer is also an accomplished workshop leader and arts administrator. She and her late partner, (author/storyteller Jan Andrews), co-founded 2 Women Productions, a company dedicated to fine adult storytelling.
For Tribute Tales, Jennifer shares "Maria's Gift"- a story written by Jan Andrews.

Gail de Vos has been a storyteller and active promoter of the oral tradition of literature for three decades. She's also a past president of TALES (now known as Storytelling Alberta.) For many years Gail told historical stories at Fort Edmonton Park and was co-organizer of the annual Storytelling Festival held at the Park for 18 years. Gail has published numerous award-winning resource books on storytelling and folklore, and teaches storytelling along with a variety of literature courses at the University of Alberta.
For Tribute Tales, Gail shares a favourite folktale she likes to call "My Father's Story."

Melanie Ray, has turned her actor’s experience and training to the art of storytelling since 1984. Her carefully crafted programs are full of people you know, or wish you did, and she sets them down in scenes as vivid as the characters themselves. Melanie uses the English language with precision, ease and delight -as witnessed by audiences enjoying her performances of the Medieval epic "Tristan and Iseult", or an hour of Emily Carr stories, from her extensive repertoire.
For Tribute Tales, Melanie takes us to Northern Ireland, with an old story of the sea called "Johnny Draw the Knife."

Saskatchewan teller Linda Mikolayenko is one of Storytelling Alberta's oldest friends! She has told stories at many of our events over the years, sharing with us her love for the oral tradition. Linda particularly enjoys the wit and wisdom found in folktales and legends from her Ukrainian heritage. She tells stories at schools, libraries and festivals across Canada, and has toured with the Canadian Children's Book Week event. She's also a writer and broadcaster.
For TRIBUTE TALES Linda shares a beautiful Ukrainian folktale, full of hope, called "The Legend of the Flowers."

Victoria storyteller, Jennifer Ferris, has told stories for 15 years at schools, community events and festivals. Her interest and connection to the history of Vancouver Island has provided many storytelling opportunities. In addition to her own stories, Jennifer also entertains audiences with stories of myths, magic, and transformation from around the world. She gives workshops to adults and children, and is very interested in promoting storytelling within families.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Jennifer shares a sweet story from her childhood, called "The Home of Rest for Working Horses"

After 40 years of storytelling, Marva Blackmore still loves her job. Her vast repertoire includes pioneer tales, ghost stories, epics, folk & fairy tales, literary works, personal stories and even a few tall tales. Marva has performed at festivals, coffee houses and concert stages across Canada and internationally. She's a Past President of Storytellers of Canada, an active member of Vancouver Island's storytelling scene, and leads workshops/courses on storytelling and memoir writing. Phew! *For TRIBUTE TALES, Marva shares a tale of Antique addiction - "Phineas Ford's Fabulous Collection."

Marie Anne McLean has been a member of Storytelling Alberta since its earliest days. As an elementary teacher, she worked stories into her classroom lessons, and started a story-telling club at her school. A natural-born teller, Marie Anne is equally comfortable sharing family stories, myths & legends, scary ghost stories, and folktales. But it is perhaps her repertoire of stories from her father's WW2 war experiences that truly reveals the depth of her talent at capturing the heart of a story and bringing it alive for her audiences. Marie-Anne is a treasured member of Storytelling Alberta's Edmonton Chapter, hosting monthly tellarounds, performing in concerts, and leading workshops passing on her knowledge of the oral art form. In 2009, Marie Anne was honoured by Storytellers of Canada as a national "Story Save" elder, leading to the recording of a 3 cd set titled "Stories from the Prairies," featuring many tales from her extensive original repertoire. This year, on the occasion of Storytelling Alberta's 40th Anniversary, we honour Marie Anne as our "Teller Laureate," and acknowledge her role in mentoring a generation of storytellers. As her legacy continues to grow, we thank "MAM" for her tireless work as a volunteer in our organization, her generous heart, and most of all, for her unforgettable stories!
For Tribute Tales, Marie Anne shares her family story "The Importance of Celebration."

Vincent Murphy is an active member of the Saskatchewan arts community, He has done it all: story performances, playwright, actor, writer, humourist, radio host, folklorist/historian, and MC (just to name a few!) He's created several stories about notable figures and events in Canadian history, including the Regina Riot and the Regina Cyclone.
He's also performed a touring show of Canadian Soldier's stories from the First World War, called Tommy Goes To War.
For Tribute Tales, Vincent shares his new twist on an old Raven legend

Norm Walker, Best described as a "story-singer," Norm Walker is known for his talent at turning urban legends and folk tales into captivating songs. His trademark wry humour and clever turn-of-phrase leave audiences laughing in their seats.
With two CDs under his belt, Norm has toured from coast to coast, and been featured on national and local radio. His home base is Regina, where he's an active organizer of storytelling events in the area. For Tribute Tales, Norm tells his (slightly skewed) version of a true story about a lost-then-found wedding ring.

Shayna Jones, is an actor, playwright, folklorist, performance poet and traditional oral storyteller. She combines her passion for live theatre, with the study of African and Afro-diasporic folklore and contemporary black experience.
Shayna's performed at storytelling festivals across Canada, and is currently leading a project called Black and Rural, an artistic investigation that will culminate in a touring performance and gallery exhibition.
For Tribute Tales, Shayna shares the story of a little girl striving to leave her mark in the world.

Sean Buvala is an American storyteller who has been telling tales on the road for decades. He describes the collection of stories in his head as “life and legend.” Sean travels across the USA sharing his life experiences, observations, sacred stories, as well as myths and legends from many cultures.
He recognizes the ability of a story to change the lives of the listeners, as he sees stories change his own life as a teller.
For Tribute Tales, Sean brings us a story about the strongest man in Ireland.

As an educator with a background in English and Drama, Bob Barton believes that sharing stories is a powerful way to improve literacy, strengthen listening and concentration skills, build a sense of community, and energize students' work across the curriculum. He incorporates drama techniques to reshape and retell stories, leaving listeners of all ages spellbound by his vivid imagery.
Over the years, Bob has been a feature teller at many festivals around the world. For Tribute Tales, Bob shares the story of a very special gift from a mother to her child.

Goldie Spencer is a founding member of the York Storytelling Guild. She enjoys telling a wide variety of stories and has recently begun to write and perform Canadian historical pieces, "Women of the Yukon" and "Les Filles du Roi." Goldie also developed (and teaches) a storytelling program for people 50+, with Ryerson University's Continuing Education department.
For Tribute Tales Goldie shares a story of personal loss woven into the uplifting Legend of the Cardinal.

Maria Hopkins, originally from Poland, emigrated to Canada in the late 1980s. After many years as a care-worker in various capacities, she dedicated her life to the arts, becoming a full-time artist through watercolour painting, choir singing and storytelling. Maria is a former member of Storytelling Alberta, and now resides in British Columbia. She loves tales that heal, teach, and touch people’s hearts.
For Tribute Tales, Maria shares a true love story, between a Polish girl and a German boy at the end of the Second World War.

Ruth Stewart-Verger, was born into a storytelling family, and learned the art in self defense! Her first love is for stories of people, their struggles and their triumphs. When Ruth shares tales of history's heroes, listeners are transported to a different time and deeper understanding of events. A strong sense of humour also draws Ruth to tales of adventure and misadventure. She has told stories in schools, libraries, community halls and festivals across Canada.
For Tribute Tales, Ruth shares a funny childhood story about a cooking failure of epic proportions!

For the past 30 years, Faye Mogensen has been weaving tales full of mystery, humour and passion. With a background in storytelling as a tool for environmental change, she loves stories that explore our relationships with ourselves, with one another and with nature. Faye also has a large repertoire of personal tales. She hopes some of her stories might inspire hope and generosity- while others are purely for fun.
For Tribute Tales, Faye shares her Grandmother's wisdom in a sweet story about the beauty of wildflowers.

Maria Dunn, songwriter and winner of a recent Juno award for Best Traditional Roots Album, draws deeply on the folk tradition of storytelling through song. Melding North American roots music with her Scottish-Irish heritage, her new album Joyful Banner Blazing celebrates resilience, grace, gratitude, solidarity, joy and the love that fires our actions to make the world a better place.
For Tribute Tales, Maria shares her song about an Edmonton labor strike that rocked the nation.

Cindy Campbell-Stone is a proud Nova Scotian "Bluenoser." Although she tells all kinds of stories, Cindy especially loves sharing historical maritime tales and songs relating to her province's past. The Halifax Explosion, the Titanic tragedy, pirates and privateers- they all come to life for Cindy's audiences. She has been involved with countless storytelling projects and organizations, including a stint as President of Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada.
For Tribute Tales, Cindy shares a story about the Cape Breton mermaid.

A former teacher, Selina Eisenberg's first foray into the world of storytelling began with her own young students thirty years ago. Since then, her repertoire has grown beyond an early interest in Eastern European stories, to include a diverse range of tales for all ages. Selina has embraced the recent transition to online storytelling opportunities, and hosts a regular Zoom story swap for the Montreal Storytellers Guild.
For Tribute Tales, Selina shares an original story that's a perfect fit for family time.

Paul Conway and Leslie Robbins-Conway had separate careers as accomplished artists before joining forces and creating what they refer to as- their Canadian performing arts adventure, also known as Voyageur Storytelling. With Leslie's innovative work in theatre and storytelling, and Paul's background in history, literary works, musical plays and operas, their joint venture has yielded many fine productions.
For Tribute Tales, Paul and Leslie deliver a whopper of a fishing story.

Chris Lindgren began working as a full time professional storyteller and musician in1983, and it was around that time she founded the Saskatoon Storyteller's Guild. Over the years she's toured Western Canada, doing thousands of performances for audiences of all ages, and is a long-time friend of Storytelling Alberta. Chris often incorporates music in her programs, playing many instruments. Her repertoire features folk and fairy tales, as well as her own original stories.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Chris shares an old Welsh legend "The Story of Ceridwen."

Dale Jarvis is a storyteller, author, and folklorist based in Newfoundland. His repertoire includes Island folk & fairy tales, local legends, tall tales and myths-- but, as proprietor of the St. John's Haunted Hike, Dale is perhaps best known for his ghost stories! He is Executive Director of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland, and author of several books about regional folklore, including his latest on the history of his province's colourful place names.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Dale shares a couple of short stories about "The Origin of the Fairies."

Denise Miller is a former member of Storytelling Alberta, who now makes her home in southern BC. She is an accomplished storyteller, and loves the way stories connect us to each other, to nature, to our ancestors and descendants, to the present and the past- all through the magic of imagination! In addition to storytelling, Denise does public speaking engagements and coaching sessions in the field of Creative Communications.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Denise shares her thoughtful and compelling version of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Ugly Duckling."

Brian Hetherington is a storyteller, teacher, Latin scholar and writer, based in Kingston, Ontario. Over the years, he's worked as Artistic Director of the Toronto Storytelling Festival, and Editor of Appleseed Quarterly, the Canadian Journal of Storytelling. In 2012, he participated in Storytelling Alberta's production of "Grettir's Saga," held in Markerville, a central Alberta community with strong Icelandic heritage connections.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Brian shares "The Genesis of the Elves."

Renée Englot is a past-member of Storytelling Alberta, and former Executive Producer of the TALES Storytelling Festival. She's also a teacher, and has a Masters degree in Children's Literature. Storytelling is a natural fit for Renée, and something she enjoys doing as a side-gig, as well as a way to connect with her junior high students. She's especially drawn to fairy tales and stories from history.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Renée shares a "you won't believe this" true story about the exploits of a British Army doctor in the late 1800's!

Andrea Spalding is a founding member of TALES, now known as Storytelling Alberta. 40 years ago Andrea, her husband David, and a few friends, had the vision to imagine the creation of a group dedicated to the art of Oral storytelling in Alberta. We are so glad they did - we owe them a huge Thank You! Andrea's artistic accomplishments are diverse. Apart from storytelling, she's also an author, visual artist, teacher, and musician. Andrea lives on Pender Island, off BC's coast, and we are grateful to fellow storyteller Faye Mogensen for recording Andrea's story.
For TRIBUTE TALES, Andrea shares "The Shirt of the Happy Man."