The Storyteller’s Supper is a feast of food folk tales written by Taffy Thomas MBE, illustrated by Dotty Kultys and recently published in hardback by The History Press. Taffy Thomas has picked up numerous food based tales in his travels and whilst meeting other storytellers. He has also worked alongside many chefs who’ve shared histories, geographies and other snippets about ingredients and dishes. In this collection, Taffy has combined both to add a new twist of seasoning to traditional tales. The tales are organised according to the source of the main ingredient (field & furrow or sea & shore, for example) and many are introduced by an anecdote, reminiscence or riddle. At the heart of the book sit recipes for eight dishes from the tales. The reader is encouraged to create a suggested four-course menu and share this along with the stories from the book – or to combine these tales and recipes with some of their own favourites – at a Storyteller’s Supper with their own family or community.
What I thought of the book
The Storyteller’s Supper celebrates stories and food as equal parts of culture, with one providing nourishment for the soul and the other for the body. The stories range from light-hearted and funny, through spooky and cautionary to sometimes sad or thought-provoking. Their clever arrangement into sections of the book based on the source of the ingredients means the reader knows what kind of food will feature, but not the type of story each new read will be. Previous folk tale collections I’ve read either feature the storyteller too heavily – everything presented from their point of view, making it difficult for the reader to lose themselves in the tale – or not at all. This collection strikes the balance perfectly. Some tales begin with an anecdote from Taffy about their collection or a memory that the story inspired. In others, he is careful and generous in crediting an earlier teller or the source culture.
Some of the stories in this book were familiar to me, but others were completely new. Again, this struck a great balance, as it made the book easy to pick up and begin reading but ensured that it held my interest. As I read, I was surprised by how many of the tales, characters and ideas I recognised – the gingerbread man; the overflowing magic porridge pot and the beans Jack trades for a cow, to name a few. It made me think about how much food is involved in the fairy tales from my childhood and the stories I know from around the world. The main theme of many of the stories is the kindness of sharing food, especially with those who don’t have enough, or the perils of not doing so – you never know when the hungry stranger might actually be a magical creature with the power to curse the cooking pot. A reader completely unfamiliar with folk tales could pick up this collection and find these ideas accessible and enjoyable.
Ultimately, folk tales seem to be about actions which we can all recognise; morals that we understand the value of and all the things which unite, rather than divide us as families, communities and cultures. Themes of generosity and selfishness; the risk of secrets; jealousy; fear and love are universal. Food seems the subject centre for a collection of tales. While the characters and settings might be unfamiliar, the ideas of enough or too little food; the hope in sewing new crops; the importance of the harvest or the lure of a sweet treat can be widely understood. This book also encourage us to share our good fortune, time and laughter with others around a large table holding a large pot. As that becomes more possible as the world opens up once more, the collection of stories and recipes would definitely make a great basis for your own ‘Storyteller’s Supper’.
How much is the book and how can you buy it?
The Storyteller’s Supper is written by Taffy Thomas MBE, illustrated by Dotty Kultys and published by The History Press. The hardback retails for £10.29 and can be purchased here.
The eBook is £5.19 and can be purchased via this link.
About the Author
Taffy Thomas trained as a Literature and Drama teacher at Dudley College of Education. After teaching for several years in Wolverhampton he founded and directed the legendary folk theatre company, Magic Lantern, illustrating traditional stories and songs with shadow puppets and circus skills. After suffering a stroke, Taffy returned to story telling as speech therapy, which turned into a new career. He is now the most experienced English storyteller, having performed in many countries on four continents.
Taffy is currently artistic director of Tales in Trust, the Northern Centre for Storytelling, based at The Storyteller’s Garden in Grasmere. In the 2001 New Year Honours List he was awarded the MBE for services to storytelling and charity and in 2010 Taffy became the first Laureate for Storytelling.
The Society for Storytelling has championed the ancient art of oral storytelling – and its role in entertainment, education, health, inspiring & changing lives – since 1993. Storytellers, enthusiasts and academics support, and are supported by, this registered charity to ensure the art is nurtured and developed throughout the U.K.
About the Book
Title: The Storyteller’s Supper
Author: Taffy Thomas MBE; Illustrator: Dotty Kultys
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 978-0750996693
Trim Size: 198x129mm
Pages: 128 pages, including 16 colour plates
Review by Sharon Corbally
You may also want to read this:
Book Review: Folk Tales from the Canal Side by Ian Douglas
Book Review: Animal Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland by Sharon Jacksties
Book Review: Animal Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland by Sharon Jacksties
Book Review: Warwickshire Folk Tales by Cath Edwards
* We were given a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.
8 comments
Aw this sounds like a lovely book. Especially mixed in with some elements of family classics like Magic Porridge Pot.
Absolutely, such a good book to add to your collection
The book sounds different to any I have read before. I am sure it would be a great read and I’d probably try some of the recipes.
It would make such an interesting holiday read, and you could cook the recipes when you get back
I really like the idea of this book, I love that it’s a story but a cookbook as well. I would like to read it and then create that four course menu, see how it turns out. Food is so much better and there’s a story behind it.
It is such a great book, so interactive and involves you into its story and recipes
Food folk tales sounds like such an interesting book. And not like anything I’ve ever read before x
Such an interesting book to read with recipes as well