#31 | Into The Belly of the Dragon - Jan Blake (Storyteller)

My guest today is Jan Blake, one of Europe’s leading storytellers who has been performing for 35 years.  Jan specializes in myths and folktales from Africa, the Caribbean and Arabia - and has mesmerized audiences at every major storytelling festival worldwide. She has been the Storyteller-in-Residence for the Hay Literary Festival, the curator for Shakespeare’s Stories at the World Shakespeare Festival, and the recipient of the British Award for Storytelling Excellence.  Jan also leads popular workshops for emerging storytellers, and gives masterclasses on the craft of storytelling. In our conversation today, we speak of the return to her childhood home after many years living in the city of London. We explore the role of the storyteller and the necessity of permission to connect with an audience. Jan shares the story of The Hunter and the challenges young men face in the cultural climate of today, and finally we speak of the magic that blurs the line between telling a story, and the story telling you. -