In thousands of languages, in the most diverse climes, from century to century, beginning with the very old stories told around the hearth in the huts of our remote ancestors down to the works of modern storytellers which are appearing at this moment in the publishing houses of the great cities of the world, it is the story of the human condition that is being spun and that men never weary of telling to one another. The manner of telling and the form of the story vary according to periods and circumstances, but the taste for telling and retelling a story remains the same: the narrative flows endlessly and never runs dry. At times, one might almost believe that from the first dawn of consciousness throughout the ages, mankind has constantly been telling itself the same story, though with infinite variations, to the rhythm of its breath and pulse.

Or should the storyteller by his work help man to know and to recognize himself? Perhaps it is his calling to speak in the name of all those who did not have the ability or who, crushed by life, did not have the power to express themselves. Or could it be that the storyteller tells his own story to himself, like the child who sings in the dark in order to assuage his own fear? Or finally, could the aim of these stories be to throw some light on the dark paths into which life hurls us at times and to tell us about this life, which we live blindly and unconsciously, something more than we can apprehend and comprehend in our weakness?

Ivo Andrić, Nobel Prize acceptance speech

The World Storytelling Day is celebrated on 20 March.

It is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling, and on that day, people all over the world tell and listen to stories in numerous languages ​​and in numerous places, throughout the day and night.

Participants share their stories and inspirations, learning from each other and creating mutual contacts.

This international event dedicated to oral storytelling took its final form in 2003, since when it has been celebrated in more than 25 countries on all continents.

And we can tell stories endlessly, because everything we look at turns into a story…