Celebrating the art of good storytelling
AMERICAN writer and storyteller Patrick Ryan was a hit at Gorey Library when about 20 listeners gathered around to hear some stories and folk tales and to learn about the skill of telling a good story using memory skills and repetition during the workshop that followed.
Patrick had the room on the edge of their seats as he brought everyone present to other worlds, telling folklore tales that were sometimes familiar having common threads with fairy tales.
Other stories had more of a twist here and there, or even some unique never heard before stories from foreign lands.
There was a mixture of emotions on the night, as laughter could be heard at times but also complete silence as the storyteller captured the imaginations of all there.
This could be seen particularly during the workshop element of the evening, where the audience were tested to see if by telling a story based off a strong memory, would be received as a quality story from the person beside them.
Patrick provided some tips and skills to practise in order to develop your story, keeping details and rituals in mind that would bring a listener or a readers’ attention back in to focus and all who attended on the night were appreciative.
The audience could see that Patrick is a well renowned storyteller, having written for the BBC and has participated in several major storytelling projects.
Holding a PHD and being honoured a Fellow of the English Association, Patrick has worked closely with Poetry Ireland and having been brought up in Illinois, he told a story from Chicago, which is where he went to university.
Patrick was based in London for decades but now lives in Belfast and has been touring the island with his storytelling.
In 2004 he completed his doctoral degree at the University of Glamorgan, Whales where he was a research fellow at the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling until 2017.