Over the last few decades, the ancient art of the storyteller and epic singer – the art of oral narrative – has witnessed a revival in the West. In view of this resurgence of interest, this volume compiles essays and interviews exploring the stories, as well as traditional and contemporary storytellers.

The traditional art of narrative is lost, along with the traditional way of life and oral culture in general. Stories can only survive if they are recounted time and again by competent storytellers. Thus, the key for an in-depth approach of the art of narrative is the storyteller himself. It is to him, the storyteller as a traditional or contemporary narrator, that the essays in this book are dedicated.