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MEMBER IN THE SPOTLIGHT


We want to show our appreciation of members of FEAST who in one way or another are contributing to the growth or well-being of the organisation or whose work as a storyteller we think may be of interest to the rest of us.


If you have somebody you think falls into either category, please email your spotlight nominee for us to consider. Appearing in the Spotlight is not necessarily time sensitive, so please do not expect that your nominee will be spotlit next month!



To see members in the spotlight in previous years, please use these links:

Spotlight Gallery 2022

Spotlight Gallery 2023

Spotlight Gallery 2024




Margaret Read MacDonald

April 2025

Margaret Read MacDonald made her career as a Children’s Librarian in public libraries, where storytelling was her great love. She expanded on this work by earning a PhD. In Folklore from Indiana University, which led to adjunct professorships teaching storytelling at the University of Washington and Leslie University. Combining her folklore and children’s librarian backgrounds, she created over 76 publications…including folktale picture books, easy-to-tell folktale collections, how-to-tell guides, folktale indexes, scholarly works, and a series of edited folktale collections prepared in cooperation with tellers from several countries. Invited by Dr.Wajuppa Tossa to teach at Mahasarakham University in 1995, MRM began a longstanding relationship with Dr. Wajuppa and with other tellers in SE Asia, which led to sharing her “Playing

with Story” workshops throughout Asia.


MRM has also performed at festivals in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamica, and Mexico. And has shared stories in Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Swaziland, Tanzania; Middle Eastern countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia; Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, Hungary, Luxemburg, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and…especially delightful…Iceland! She loves traveling to share stories and meet new tellers! But of course her favorite places to visit are the homes of the FEAST gang!!


MRM’s main mission is to encourage ALL teachers and librarians to start telling stories. To know more about her, visit

www.margaretreadmacdonald.com


Margaret says....


My Favourite book about storytelling

I have always loved re-reading Ruth Sawyer’s 1942 publication, The Way of the Storyteller She writes beautifully about the storytelling tradition and the importance of sharing story with children.


Of my own writing, I think especially useful is Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling, composed with my daughter, Jennifer MacDonald Whitman and her husband, Nat Whitman. It includes 20 of our favourite easy-to-tell folktales along with the advice of a kindergarten teacher and school librarian on connecting these to the classroom.


My Favourite Storytelling Quote

You invite the story in, for your hospitality it will tell you what it knows. And then, when it’s time, you pass it on.

-James Flanagan.

I like this quote because it stresses the flow of story. And the importance of that final step…you’ve got to pass it on!



Storytelling is such an easy-to-learn thing…and so much joy to impart in just 5 minutes set aside to share a tale. Let’s convince all the teachers and librarians all to TELL! And remember…there is no right or wrong way to tell a tale. The story is yours. Any way you tell it is just fine. These are folktales and YOU are the folk!"


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Jeeva Raghunath

February 2025

Jeeva Raghunath: A Renowned Storytelling Visionary

 

Jeeva Raghunath is an internationally celebrated storyteller, known for her vibrant, engaging style,that blends humour, drama, and cultural richness. Her performances captivate audiences of all ages, bringing stories to life with expressive narration and boundless energy.

 

As the founder of Kathaikalatta, Jeeva organizes the acclaimed international storytelling festival Under the Alaamaram, which celebrates the art of storytelling by bringing storytellers from around the globe to connect and share.

 

A passionate mentor, Jeeva guides aspiring storytellers through her one-on-one online course, Story Clinic, helping them refine their craft and discover their unique voices. As a director of FEAST (Federation of Asian Storytellers), she plays a pivotal role in promoting storytelling and building bridges between cultures across Asia and beyond.

 

Jeeva is also a prolific author, having written over 19 children’s picture books and translated more than 65 books from English to Tamil, enriching young readers with diverse stories and languages.

 

Her contributions to storytelling and community development have earned her numerous prestigious accolades, including the Pride of Asia Award, the Best Entrepreneur Award and Mangayar Tharagai (Star Woman) award. Jeeva’s work continues to inspire, educate, and connect people through the transformative power of stories.


Jeeva says...


Stories are from Womb to Tomb!

And these stories have souls! Hence, do not TELL the story; FEEL the story!


MEMBERSHIP enquiries:

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STORE related enquiries:

storefeast@gmail.com


Story Swap related enquiries: feaststoryswap@gmail.com


Webinar related enquiries: feastwebinars@gmail.com