Featured Tellers at The National Storytelling Festival

The 2008 Tellers are here!

Download the 2008 Festival Map and Schedule of Events
(PDF file 400kb)

Come hear storytelling at its most magical...a three-day extravaganza of compelling performances by nationally-known tellers.

Don't miss the Ghost Stories and Midnight Cabaret on Friday and Saturday nights.

Click on a 2008 Featured Teller below and find out more!

You don't have to wait until October to hear your favorite tellers. Experience Storytelling Live! at the International Storytelling Center from June through October.

Brenda Wong Aoki From the New Victory Theatre on Broadway in New York City, to the Graz Erzahlt in Austria, Brenda Wong Aoki has established a new genre as a contemporary storyteller.	Peter Cook Peter Cook is an internationally reputed deaf performing artist whose work incorporates American Sign Language, pantomime, storytelling, acting and movement.
Donald Davis Donald Davis was born in a Southern Appalachian mountain world rich in stories. He grew up hearing gentle fairy tales, simple and silly Jack tales, scary mountain lore, and ancient Welsh and Scottish folktales.	Carmen Deedy Best known for her razor-sharp wit and light, entertaining style, Carmen Agra Deedy is an award-winning recording artist and author of numerous best-selling books for children.
Doug Elliott Whether he's singing about catfish, pontificating on possums, pondering the "nature" in human nature, telling wild snake tales or wailing out a jivey harmonica tune, Elliott will take you on a tour of North America's back country.	Elizabeth Ellis Elizabeth Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains in a family filled with stories. As a child, most of her best friends were imaginary; in some ways, that's still true.
Ben Haggarty: International Guest Artist A master of improvisation, Ben Haggarty is internationally respected for his playful and lively performances and his knowledge of stories and diverse narrative traditions.	Michael Reno Harrell: New Voice Michael Reno Harrell hails from the Southern Appalachians, where storytelling is a long standing tradition. An award-winning songwriter and storyteller, he learned his stories from family members like "Motorcycle" Eddie Cole.
Beth Horner Noted for her vivacious stage presence, contagious enthusiasm and "a wit so sharp you can shave with it," Beth Horner balances raucous humor with heart-opening truth.	Kevin Kling Kevin Kling, best known for his popular commentaries on NPR's All Things Considered and his storytelling stage shows, delivers hilarious, often tender stories.
Erica Lann-Clark: New Voice Erica Lann-Clark grew up in Brooklyn, where her tiny yellow kitchen brimmed with laughter and tears as her immigrant parents spun tales to bring their history alive.	Bil Lepp Bil Lepp is a nationally renowned storyteller whose outrageous, humorous tall-tales and witty stories have earned the appreciation of listeners of all ages.
John McCutcheon One of America's most respected and loved folksingers, John McCutcheon is an award-winning recording artist with a storytelling style compared to Will Rogers and Garrison Keillor.	Waddie Mitchell From his earliest days on the remote Nevada ranches where his father worked, Waddie Mitchell was immersed in the art of spinnin' tales in rhyme and meter that came to be called cowboy poetry.
Onawumi Jean Moss Onawumi Jean Moss, award-winning storyteller and author, performs with a seamless blend of captivating vocal and facial expressions, amazing dramatic timing and related a capella songs.	Won-Ldy Paye: New Voice Won-Ldy Paye is from the northeastern rice farming region of Liberia. He is a member of the Tlo Ker Mehn, the class of professional entertainers who are keepers of the oral tradition.
Performance Duo: In the Spirit: New Voice In the Spirit combines the talents of Glenda Zahra Baker and Emily Hooper Lansana, who are known for drawing listeners into their seamless blend of vocals and narrative.	Antonio Rocha Antonio Rocha, a native of Brazil, began his career in the performing arts in 1985. Since then he has performed his unique blend of mime and verbal narrative from Singapore to the Yukon.
Minton Sparks: New Voice Minton Sparks fuses poetry and her intoxicating gift for storytelling into performances punctuated with world-class music. Her poetry and stories share her memories of growing up in small-town Tennessee.	Tim Tingle Award winning author and storyteller, Tim Tingle is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Tingle brings the lore of his native Choctaw Nation to life in lively Rabbit trickster tales and compelling historical stories.
Kathryn Tucker Windham Master storyteller, author of twenty-four books, playwright, accomplished photographer and popular public television and radio personality, Kathryn Tucker Windham's stories are as unmistakably Southern as the voice that tells them.