Eye to eye. Mind to mind. Heart to heart.” That is how a story should be told. Wise words that came from the late storyteller and singer Stanley Robertson to Donald Smith – and he remembers them well. This is the 35th year of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and Smith, festival director and committed storyteller, sees more potential than ever for stories to show us what connects us rather than what divides us.

The festival’s hub is the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the High Street in Edinburgh but there are events right across the country. There are indoor events, outdoor events and even online events.  This year’s overarching theme is Bridges Between and this can be illustrated beautifully by the cross-pollination of storytelling that comes from the new Scots.

“When new people come to Scotland they bring their traditions and culture and that is so welcomed. But you know, we can liken it to the ceilidh tradition, because what I find through my work at the Storytelling Centre is that they appreciate being included in the Scottish storytelling,” says Smith. “They want to know about Scottish culture and music and stories and they want to bring what they can to that mix.

“The rising popularity of audiobooks is an indication of how we like to be told stories, but thinking about Robertson’s words, there is nothing like being among other people in front of a storyteller to take us to a place where we can leave the white noise of the digital world behind.  It’s a connection that dates back around 100,000 years, which is how long we have been telling stories, whereas writing dates back three or four thousand years.”

Smith mentions Willie MacPhee, the tinsmith, piper and storyteller.  “He was an amazing, great, big, old fellow. He lived until about 90 and he couldn’t read but he could reel off a story that kept a crowd captivated for two hours or more. When he was asked why he did it he said it was ‘a good way to pass the time’. 

“It always has been, particularly on cold, winter nights when people would huddle around the fire and tell stories before bedtime. At this time of year spooky stories have always been a favourite. Storytelling is wired into us and it sits with the Scottish love of the spoken word,” adds Smith.

“Apart from the social aspects about entertainment, bringing us together and valuing the spoken word, it’s very culturally rich and it’s to do with geography.”

He points to the fact we are open to the sea in all directions. “We have the to-ing and the fro-ing with Ireland and the West. The Scots and the Irish have been shuttling between the two for centuries. On the islands and the north side we have the Norse influence and further south and east there is the influence of the Baltics and Europe. We’ve soaked all this up but also, we’ve shared our influence. Sometimes that has been in sad circumstances, when people have had to leave the country and go to other parts of the world, but effectively you’ve this constant to and fro. I think that makes for a very rich culture and consequently every area of Scotland has its own storytelling culture.”

The theme of Bridges Between also means crossing the bridges for those who could easily be excluded. “Bridging divides is important. Involving able and disabled people together; involving people on different sides of political or cultural divides. The theme builds on last year’s when we looked at the ‘Right to be Human’. There are some important and ambitious projects. We have a young Palestinian woman who uses a wheelchair, collaborating with an older female Scottish storyteller. We have a ‘global lab’, where are hoping to go live to children in Gaza.”

Smith is optimistic about the future of storytelling, recalling: “I first went to the Old Town area as a volunteer in the 1970s and became involved at the Netherbow. I went to work there in the 1980s. 

“I’ve been fortunate enough to see the storytellers of Willie MacPhee’s generation, then I’m of the next generation. But then there are more sets, storytellers in their 20s and a lot of talent.” 

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival takes place from October 18–31 in Edinburgh, across Scotland and online. For tickets and more info visit sisf.org.uk

Connect with the festival on social media @ScotStoryFest #BridgesBetween