Storyteller/Author
(The below text comes from Simon Brooks).
Stories Keep us Human
Since 1991, British storyteller, humorist and author Simon Brooks has been telling to audiences from all over the world. Simon became a full-time, professional storyteller in 2003, released his first CD in 2006, and his first collection of folk and fairy tales in 2018 in his book Under the Oaken Bough (published by Parkhurst Brothers). Simon has won awards and honors for his storytelling albums from Storytelling World and Parent's Choice. Simon travels from New London, New Hampshire to Los Angeles, California, and has told his tales in Europe. He presents anywhere you want him, be it a school, college, library, festival, camp, hospital, business, restaurant, coffee house or home.
Simon completely reinvented himself to accommodate on-line (and recorded) presentations and workshops. These are high-quality offerings with much in the way of new material and presentation styles.
Simon lives in New London, New Hampshire, New England, New World with his wife, a cat - Miley, and a dog called Moe. Sometimes his two adult children visit.
Simon is a Children’s Literacy Foundation presenter, member of North Eastern Story Telling (NEST), and the New Hampshire Storytelling Alliance. He has performed at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, at the Exchange Place in 2018, the main stage in 2019, and as part of the virtual festival of 2020, and again MCing and telling ghost stories in 2022. He performed at Timpanogos in September, 2019, performed and MCed at the virtual 2020 Timpanogos Festival and live in 2021 and 2022, and performed in person at the Florida Storytelling Festival in January, 2020, in-person. During the 2020 shut-down,
Simon also performed (on-line) at the Snake River Storytelling Festival, Athens Storytelling Festival in Alabama, Six Feet Apart, The Grapevine, Better Said Than Done, HopStop (the Hopkins Center, Dartmouth Collage), and in a few Fairytale Variations produced by Stories With Spirit. Simon helped produce and perform in events created by North East Story Telling (NEST) in 2020 , and has performed and presented at the National Storytelling Conference, Northlands Confabulation, the Connecticut Storytelling Festival, and Sharing the Fire and a few other places. Recently he’s performed in-person at the Kearney Storytelling Festival in Nebraska and Athens Storytelling Festival, Alabama.
Simon's Mission
To spread and share the art of traditional storytelling to a wider audience. To show the power (and need) of the 'ancient stories' of folk and fairy tales, myths and legends. To encourage others to tell their own stories (and favorite folk tales) in a way that is inclusive to all people of all belief systems.
To keep the art of storytelling alive in all communities for young people and for adults, by performing live, conducting workshops, and producing a podcast of traditional storytelling.
Why me?
Why should I be YOUR storyteller? I want to make sure I am the right guy for you, so here's a little about me. My background is varied, and experience wide. I began telling tales for free but people told me I was good and I should charge, so I did. And now this is how I make my living and support my family.
If you want someone upbeat, someone flexible to work with, someone who can easily identify with kids and adults, then we are off to a good start. I have always written, and my work has been published in poetry anthologies, zines, and magazines (both print and on-line). My book Under the Oaken Bough, was published by Parkhurst Brothers in 2018. Under the Oaken Bough is a collection of folk and fairy tales and includes a section on tips for telling, a suggested reading list, an author Q & A, and a lexicon or vocabulary list.
I studied photography at college and that was my career for a long time. I ran budget accommodation and meals establishments working for the Youth Hostel Association (England Wales). I also have worked for corporate America. I have recorded five storytelling CDs (the fifth released in 2020), and an audio of The Epic of Gilgamesh. If you want someone who brings a lot to the table, then I am your man!
Read more about Simon on his website where you can book him for your school, library, or more: https://www.diamondscree.com.