Int'l Storytelling festival underway in Iran’s Yazd

The 24th edition of the International Storytelling Festival has been underway in the central Iranian city of Yazd.

The festival, which opened on Sunday, is taking place with the slogan 'Story is the voice of life'.

This important cultural Iranian event is organized annually by the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults - Kanoon.

The Deputy Head of the Center for the Intellectual Development of Child and Adolescent for Cultural Affairs Mahmoud Moravvej delivered a speech in the opening ceremony and called the festival the most social event in Iran.

Ten narrators from across the world are participating in the 24th edition of the International Storytelling Festival to share tales from their folk cultures during the Iranian event.

Nor Azhar Ishak, Malaysian science museum educator and award-winning picture book writer and illustrator, is one of the participants at the event who said in a press release Kanoon published on Monday that he has been influenced by Iranian art, culture and the skills of Iranian storytellers.

He is scheduled to share his story ‘A Pangolin Story’ during the festival. Ishak also gave performances at the festival in 2018 and 2021.

He said that he has been very interested in the history and culture of different countries, including Iran, and talked about his interest in Persian literature.

“When I was invited to the festival in 2018, I had an opportunity to learn about Iran and increase my knowledge about the country,” he noted.

“Stories help transfer information through emotional communication and develop a mutual understanding. By stories from different cultures, we may achieve a deep understanding of others’ experiences and better realize human value,” he added.

The festival will run until January 19, 2023.

MM/FM