Book Recommendations

The Last Storytellers

By Richard Hamilton

Social Science, Folklore & Mythology, Literary Collections, General, History, Africa, Social History | 264 pages
1 recommendation
Marrakech is the heart and lifeblood of Morocco's ancient storytelling tradition. For nearly a thousand years, storytellers have gathered in the Jemaa el Fna, the legendary square of the city, to recount ancient folktales and fables to rapt audiences. But this unique chain of oral tradition that has passed seamlessly from generation to generation is teetering on the brink of extinction. The competing distractions of television, movies and the internet have drawn the crowds away from the storytellers and few have the desire to learn the stories and continue their legacy. Richard Hamilton has witnessed at first hand the death throes of this rich and captivating tradition and, in the labyrinth of the Marrakech medina, has tracked down the last few remaining storytellers, recording stories that are replete with the mysteries and beauty of the Maghreb.
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Cath Marsland
7th Sep 2024
"A collection of stories captured in Morocco, tracked down by the author. Marrakech comes alive at night, and nowhere more so than the main square Djemma El Fna.

Modern technology is taking over and the tradition of oral storytelling is fading.

Even if you don’t understand the language, just stand and listen and capture the atmosphere. I love Morocco, and being in the desert or Bedouin villages takes you back in time"