Elinor Benjamin, Storyteller

One woman shows:

2023 - On the Trail of Lafcadio Hearn

2018 - Words you were meant to hear

2017 - Desperate Housewives of the Middle Ages

2016 Cousin Silas and the Moose Woman

Photo of Elinor in what she is sure a fairy dell in France

Welcome

I love the old stories: fairy tales, folktales, legends and myths. I love the way they are both ancient and modern. These stories are older than written history. Some people say that fairy or folktales are the voices of our ancestors whispering to us. We humans have not changed so much in the period since we have been collecting stories. They have something to tell us.

They whisper that the world is a vast and frightening place, that we must learn to conquer our fears, seek our fortune, find someone to love. They assure us that love turns anyone into a prince or princess. They offer wisdom on our journey through life. They also teach us that, no matter where on earth we live, we all have the same wishes and dreams.

The wisdom of the old stories gives us courage when we are young and comfort when we grow old.

Stories are for everyone. They entertain and nourish us on more levels than we know.

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Throughout the pandemic lockdown and beyond I have been enjoying listening to and participating in storytelling events online around the continent and sometimes in the UK.

I am currently part of a team of storytellers from across Canada who host StorySwap Canada! It's a weekly ONLINE open mic gathering that happens every Sunday, 4pm to 6pm EST. For log in information, check the Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada's Event calendar

I'm truly, madly, deeply working on the Archives of Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada, a labour of love.

I have just returned from a dazzling week at the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival

Here is a link to: "Thorstein Shiver" recorded
for the 40th Anniversary of Storytelling Alberta

Here is another of my favourites "Jack and the Northwest Wind
told at the Toronto Storytelling Festival in April 2022.

For some "field recordings" from the "ZOOM-a-sphere and earlier media, visit my YouTube Channel

Feb 2025