West Virginia Storytelling Guild

08/27/2026

Still time to make your retreat LODGING RESERVATIONS at reduced rate:
West Virginia Storytelling Guild 2026 Autumn Retreat is September 25 - 26. Save the date and make lodging reservations soon.

Join us for this celebration of storytelling and fellowship through workshops, storytelling, and more in Fairmont. More details/updates to come.

LODGING RESERVATIONS:
- LOCATION: Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Fairmont, (near Middletown Mall Shopping Center) 27 Southland Dr, Fairmont, WV 26554
- RESERVATION DEADLINE: September 4 for group discount ($99 plus tax)
- To make your lodging RESERVATION: call Fairfield Inn - Fairmont 304-367-9150. Use Group Code “WVSS” for discount by September 4.

DATE: Friday, September 25, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
LOCATION: Apple Annie’s in the Middletown Mall Shopping Center, 2600 Middletown Cir Ste 115, Fairmont, WV
WHAT: dinner followed by storytelling. Order and pay for food off the menu. After dinner four tellers will share a story, tales 8 minutes or less in length.

DATE: Saturday, September 26, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
LOCATION: Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center, Fairmont State University, Squibb Wilson Blvd, Fairmont, WV 26554
WHAT: morning coffee and conversation, more storytelling, professional development, lunch, presentation of the McWhorter Clock Award, and more.

Be sure to check this page and your member email for retreat event updates.

08/23/2026

Nothing like sharing good stories! JoAnn Dadisman and June Riffle hosted a story swap this weekend. Thirteen tellers joined in on this fun storytelling exchange.

Have stories to tell that you want to test out with supportive storytelling friends? Think about taking part in or hosting a story swap 😃 😉

08/23/2026

Happy belated World Folklore Day! There are so many folktales in West Virginia and beyond. What is one of your favorite folktales? 🤔 Do tell, friends 😉

Happy World Folklore Day! At the International Storytelling Center, we celebrate the power of folklore every day, honoring the rich traditions, legends, and wisdom passed down through generations and cultures around the world. These stories connect us, teach us, and keep our shared humanity alive.

08/10/2026

CALL for TELLERS for Grand Vue Storytelling Festival

You are invited to apply for a paid gig as a storyteller for the Grand Vue Storytelling Festival at Grand Vue Park in Moundsville, WV on September 15, 2026.

Festival telling session audiences will include 2nd - 5th grade students from Ohio and West Virginia. Telling sessions will run 9:30 am to 2:00 pm under a shelter and in an indoor hall, tellers rotating between these location during the event. Lunch will be provided to event storytellers.

All applicants must be current members of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild. Express interest to Judi Tarowsky, festival co-chair by email: [email protected]

08/03/2026

SAVE THE DATE:
West Virginia Storytelling Guild 2026 Autumn Retreat is September 25 - 26. Save the date and make lodging reservations soon.

Join us for this celebration of storytelling and fellowship through workshops, storytelling, and more in Fairmont. More details/updates to come.

LODGING RESERVATIONS:
- LOCATION: Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Fairmont, (near Middletown Mall Shopping Center) 27 Southland Dr, Fairmont, WV 26554
- RESERVATION DEADLINE: September 4 for group discount ($99 plus tax)
- To make your lodging RESERVATION: call Fairfield Inn - Fairmont 304-367-9150. Use Group Code “WVSS” for discount by September 4.

DATE: Friday, September 25, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
LOCATION: Apple Annie’s in the Middletown Mall Shopping Center, 2600 Middletown Cir Ste 115, Fairmont, WV
WHAT: dinner followed by storytelling. Order and pay for food off the menu. After dinner four tellers will share a story, tales 8 minutes or less in length.

DATE: Saturday, September 26, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
LOCATION: Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center, Fairmont State University, Squibb Wilson Blvd, Fairmont, WV 26554
WHAT: morning coffee and conversation, more storytelling, professional development, lunch, presentation of the McWhorter Clock Award, and more.

Be sure to check this page and your member email for retreat event updates.

07/30/2026

Today we would like to celebrate our friend Suzi “Mama” Whaples who passed away earlier this summer. An inspiring force in our West Virginia Storytelling Guild community and beyond, Suzi struck a cord of connection with so many people.

Whaples passion for the rich heritage of Appalachia brought her stories to life when telling to youth and adult audiences. From her work as the founder of The Mountain Women storytelling group or as an individual teller, she traveled throughout West Virginia and the nation sharing stories of Appalachian culture. Her work touched many lives plus was recognized for her service to the storytelling community with the 2007 West Virginia Storytelling Guild’s Bob McWhorter Award and won top honors in the National Storytelling Contest and Echoes in the Coalfields. In 2010 Mama was a featured teller at National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. She served as this guild’s President, as well as Treasurer, plus contributed to the CD West Virginia Storytellers Live! Her original tales warmed our hearts and often helped us laugh in more ways than we can express.

In honor of Suzi, please share a fond Mama memory here and in person with someone close to you. Let fond memories of this amazing person warm your heart and help you smile today and always.

07/26/2026

Congratulations to West Virginia Storytelling Guild member Kevin Cordi and coauthor Judy Sima on being awarded a 2026 National Storytelling Network’s Talking Leaves Oracle Award for their book Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes.

07/12/2026

WV Storytelling Guild in action! Jo Ann Dadisman used puppets to engage families at the Victorian Chautauqua Festival in Mountain Lake Park, MD.

What ways have you used storytelling? There are endless possibilities of ways to help stories enhance our communities. Keep telling tales, no matter what form that takes 😉

06/21/2026

There was storytelling fun at the 2026 West Virginia Wild & Wonderful Celtic Festival in Beverly today. WV Storytelling Guild tellers Larry Jent, Linda Durrett, Judith Clister, and JoAnn Dadisman all shared tales. The 🍀 luck of Celtic takes filled the air 😉!

06/19/2026

Day 4 - West Virginia Storytelling Guild’s 2026 Come Weave a Tale Storytelling Camp concluded today.

This final day of camp was filled with continued skills samplers and concert presentations for these student. Storytellers and guild leaders June Riffle and JoAnn Dadisman showed the fun that can be had in tandem telling. Then came time for the concert. Ten campers told stories in front of their families and friends. This special storytelling concert was a glorious celebration of the things campers learned and the friends they made.

We’d like to thank all of this year’s campers for their enthusiasm and creativity, the event and site team for their hard work and dedication in making this youth program a success, and those who supported this camp through encouragement and scholarship funding. Together we’ve created magic through storytelling again this year!