Storytelling

Award-winnning storyteller Simon Brooks began spinning yarns and telling tales in 1991 when he would perform for school groups and families at Youth Hostels in the United Kingdom before moving to the States. In 2003 Simon became a Children's Librarian and professional storyteller. He has performed for libraries, schools, and private functions and festivals telling to young children and adults. Combining his passion for children's literature and folklore, Simon creates fun programs for all ages. His repertoire comes mainly from European folk and Faerie tales, but Simon also includes stories from South America, Africa, China and Japan amongst other countries and cultures.

With his bodrán, Simon Brooks performs tales with energy and wit. Telling folktales, myths and legends from all over the world, he brings characters like Ananzi the Spider, the trickster Raven, Wayland Smith, Merlin and Dionysus vividly to life. From this world of stories Simon captivates his audience with unique voices to animate characters, and with expressive body language he truly brings the stories to life. Stories can last from 5 minutes each to 40 minutes a tale. A single program usually runs from 40 - 60 minutes.

Simon can provide a program which will suit your needs, whatever you are looking for. Please go to Rates and Programs for more information for particulars.

"Simon - My drama classes and I heard your tales at Nashua North High School today. We were all very impressed and had a lot of fun discussing storytelling and drama afterwards.
Thank you for the excellent stories and for helping to keep storytelling alive.
Take care,"
- Walt Freeman, Dept. of English, Nashua North High School

"The children laughed and screeched and rolled around on the gym floor in delight (at least they rolled around as much as the teachers would let them)! He's a very animated and funny storyteller"
- Peg Downing, CLiF advisor

Telling tales at the Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover. Summer 2007
Sarah Brooks© 2007

My love of folklore and faerie tales brought me to storytelling and the love of sharing these vibrant tales has kept me there. I find tales that are not often told, or when they are I put my own stamp on them. I only tell tales that I love, whose voice comes to me, becoming alive in my mind and that helps bring the story to life in the minds of those who listen. Finding as many different versions of a tale as possible, I will create a version that will intrigue and delight with my own style of performance. Using my voice for sound effects and character voices, the stories become alive in the minds of my audience. I focus on the old, ancient stories from many different cultures and by sharing these cultures with my listeners, I hope that horizons are broadened and differences are understood. There is something about seeing rows of faces, young and old, transfixed in the story I am telling so we are all living the same the story at the same time, even if seeing it differently. When school children sometimes send me pictures of what they saw in their heads, it is a great privilege and honour - it shows the power of words and story in a very real way. When adults send me notes or emails about the fun they had, I know I am doing the best thing I could - storytelling.

Simon made his first CD over the winter of 2005/6 which was released to great applause in June 2006. His second CD was released in August 2008 and gleaned Silver Honor from Parents' Choice. CD number three, A Tangle of Tales was released in May 2011.

To purchase a copy of his CDs, please visit www.cdbaby.com or click on a link below.


"More Second-hand Tales", winner of Silver Honors, "A Tangle of Tales", winner of the Gold Award, Parents's Choice

CDs, including the award-winning More Second-hand Tales, are available from Simon directly, from CD Baby and these local stores:
iTunes
Artisans, New London, NH 603-526-4227
Chapman's Store, Fairlee, VT 802-333-9709
Green Mountain Books and Prints, Lyndonville, VT 802-626-5051
Morgan Hill Bookstore, New London, NH 603-526-5850
Norwich Bookstore, Norwich VT 802-649-1114
Wider Than The Sky, Newport, VT 802-334-2322

Simon has performed at private functions, libraries and schools in New Hampshire and Vermont and has performed at the 2005 Connecticut River Festival Big Splash Event, Wilder, VT and appeared as part of the Outdoor Series at the Upper Valley Events Center, Norwich, VT in 2005. He was on the Vermont Libraries Summer Reading Performers list for 2006 and 2008, and on the New Hampshire Libraries Summer Reading Roster, 2006 and 2007. Simon performed at the Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College for the Hopstop Family Series; at StoryHome in Rochester, NH, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Open-Fields Medieval Fair during 2007 along with numerous school, library and private performances.

"On a whim a bunch of mommy friends and our gangs went to the Wolfeboro Library over our spring break and I just wanted to take a minute to say WOW! It was wonderful!!
You were so interactive and captivating for all ages. Thank you for sharing your gift with our town. It was definitely a highlight of our break. Looking forward to hearing your stories again sometime.
Keep up the magic."
- Andrea Keslar and family, New Hampshire