“Stories are for everyone” – an interview with the organisers of Leeds Storytelling Festival

Leeds Storytelling Festival is a brand new event taking Leeds Libraries across the city by storm. Following an exciting and successful first week for the festival, we caught up with the organisers to chat about why the festival is so important and the upcoming events people can still look forward to.     

The Leeds Storytelling Festival is a city-wide celebration of storytelling, taking place from February 14th to March 8th in Leeds Libraries across the city. The festival, in partnership with Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry, invites families and children to connect, create and be inspired by the exciting world of storytelling. The festival offers an amazing lineup of events from acclaimed author readings and costume-making workshops to a city-wide trail and award-winning family theatre. One of these theatre shows is ‘Three Little Vikings’, which will be performed by the Wrongsemble team at Leeds Central Library on Saturday 8th March. An adaptation of the much loved children’s book by Bethan Woollvin, ‘Three Little Vikings’ tells the story of three brave little Viking girls who go on an adventure to save the day. I was thrilled to chat with Rachel and Elvi, two people involved in organising the festival,  about why storytelling, and this festival in particular, is so important, the event so far, and the upcoming performance of ‘Three Little Vikings’.   

 

Why do you think storytelling is so powerful, especially for young audiences? 

 

Rachel: It expands imagination and engages people in different ways. Storytelling takes different forms  – books, pictures, theatre  – and libraries, in particular, are great for offering different avenues for people to engage with stories. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish with the festival—bringing in different families, different communities, and showing them the magic of storytelling. 

What makes this festival special compared to other literature events? 

 

Elvi: Many festivals brand themselves as literature festivals, and this can often be a barrier for people who might feel those events are too serious for them. We wanted to ensure that this festival felt inclusive for everyone by offering a wide range of fun, exciting and interactive events. Not everyone enjoys books and theatre, so we also offer author talks and hands-on workshops to provide different entry points into storytelling. It was also important for us to remove financial or accessibility barriers, so almost all events are free and activities are spread across the city so people don’t have to travel far. 

 

Rachel: For me, having a real mix between big names and local authors has been really important as it feels very embedded in the city. 

 

What have been some memorable audience reactions from the festival so far? 

 

Rachel: One that stood out to me was during the launch event with Kate Pankhurst where we kicked off the Fantastically Great Trail. A little girl walked into the event dressed as Emmeline Pankhurst [an influential British suffragette who helped women win the right to vote and one of the characters in Kate’s book] just as Kate was talking about her. It was a beautiful moment to see the strong connection children make with books, and their enthusiasm to engage with storytelling. 

 

Elvi: Another special moment was at The Lost Property Library performance. The kids got so involved that the show ran 15 minutes over because they were having too much fun heckling and throwing paper balls at the actors! 

Thinking about the upcoming performance of the ‘Three Little Vikings’, it is a beloved children’s story. Does that make it a challenge to adapt it into a performance? 

 

Elvi: Yes! It is a very popular book which means audiences have expectations because they already love the book, the characters, and the illustrations. We have to ensure we honour what they love, while also bringing something fresh to the stage. Fortunately, the author, Bethan Woolvin, has been involved in the process so we feel confident about staying true to the spirit of the book. 

 

What do you think makes it special as a stage performance?

 

Elvi: Rachel and I have worked together on different projects for almost a decade now. One thing we always focus on is ensuring theatre reaches both the youngest audience members and the adults. Rachel introduced me to Bethan’s work and I instantly fell in love with the illustrations and storytelling. It was dark, funny, cheeky, and anarchic—the kind of stories I want for young people. Since becoming a parent, I enjoy reading these books to my children, and I knew Three Little Vikings would be something that everyone could enjoy. 

 

Are you looking forward to finally being able to share the production with audiences? 

 

Elvi: Yes! We’ve spent over a year working on this, from securing the rights and funding to building a tour schedule and figuring out how to bring a troll to life! Now we’re finally at the point where we get to share it with an audience, which is the most exciting part. The audience is the missing puzzle piece that completes the production. 

 

Rachel: Kate Pankhurst is a fantastic author and an inspiring woman. She launched our festival with a fantastic event about Fantastically Great Women, in a full-circle moment the festival will conclude, on International Woman’s Day, with a performance about three brave female vikings. 

What is the one takeaway you hope people who attend the festival leave with? 

 

Rachel: I hope they feel excited by an event they have taken part in and inspired to continue engaging with whatever aspect of storytelling that might be.  

 

Elvi: Stories are for everyone. 

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Leeds Storytelling Festival is running until 8th March, meaning there is still plenty of opportunity to attend some of the exciting and fun events. You can check out all the upcoming events on their website, or follow their instagram for the most recent updates (@leedsstoryfestival).