Elinor Benjamin, Storyteller

Photo: Ron Richards

Bio

Elinor Benjamin has been telling stories for nearly 40 years. After working as a public library administrator in Newfoundland for 22 years, she left to work freelance with "Learning through the Arts", a national education project, adopted by schools in western Newfoundland. She has drunk deeply from the well of Norse and Celtic mythology, ventured into the epics of South Asia and South America and cavorted with Japanese ghosts. In Newfoundland she lived near L’Anse aux Meadows, site of the archaeological remains of a 1000 year old Viking encampment, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. She tells folktales, fairytales, myths and legends and has served in many capacities as a volunteer with Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada, including President, webmaster and archivist. She has toured for Canadian Children's Book Week, and told stories in Ireland, Italy and Amsterdam, most recently at the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival. She has told at many festivals, and continued learning from great storytellers at many workshops and seminars. In the summer of 2024, she was delighted to perform at the Hans Christian Andersen statue in Central Park, New York. In 2015 she was awarded Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada's highest honour, The Storykeeper Award, She lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

passion for storytelling began nearly 40 years ago, as the result of friendship with Newfoundland fiddler and storyteller, Emile Benoit, and hearing Rita Cox, Bob Barton and Laura Simms at library conferences. I participate in a number of fund-raising and charitiable events in the Halifax area.

performed at
Marrakech International Storytelling Festival - Jan - 2025
The Hans Christian Andersen Statue, New York City - 2024
The March Hare, Corner Brook (over 20 years)
Ottawa Storytelling Festival,
Toronto International Storytelling Festival - 2022 and 2023
Featured Teller at the Boston Story Space - 2022, 2023 and 2024
Trails, Tales and Tunes (Norris Point, NL),
St. John's Folk Festival,
St. John's Storytelling Festival,
Festival of Storytelling (Brockville, ON)
Word on the Street, (Halifax),
Sean Dunne Festival (Waterford, Ireland),
T.A.L.E.S. Retreat, Markerville, Alberta, with 12 tellers to present the Icelandic saga of Grettir the Strong (2012)
The Dublin Yarnspinners, (Dublin, Ireland),
Rotary Art Centre, Corner Brook
The Storytellers Circle of Halifax
TD Canadian Children's Book Week Tour 2003

Upcoming and past presentations.

received the Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du CanadaStorykeeper Award in 2015

served in various positions on the board Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada, now working on our archives.

member of Storytelling Toronto, The Canadian Children's Book Centre and Halifax Storytellers Circle (Currently President), National Storytelling Network

worked with elementary classes in Learning through the Arts (LTTA), Western School District, Corner Brook a project of the Royal Conservatory Music (2001 - 2008)

told stories at libraries, schools and concerts to audiences of all ages for 15 years while working as a public library administrator (until 2001). Currently involved in organizing events for Storytellers Circle of Halifax, telling stories at a Seniors Centre, and other community events.

host and storyteller for 20 years at The Mad Hatter's Tea Party, at Corner Brook's March Hare Poetry Weekend; selected as the Annual Honoree at the 2008 March Hare
conducted workshops at Vinland Music Camp (2010), The ArtsWork Conference in St. John's, Books for Babies, Early Literacy Networking Conference etc
served on national and provincial arts juries
lived and travelled in many places in the US, Europe, UK and Canada before returning to Nova Scotia in 2011

Mar 2024