Chattanooga storyteller Finn Bille will join selected storytellers from around East Tennessee on March 20, for a World Storytelling Day concert produced by the Smoky Mountain Storytelling Guild at the new Clayton Center for the Arts on the Maryville College campus.
Twice immigrated to the United States from his native Denmark, Bille is best known for stories from his childhood living on the outskirts of Copenhagen in the years following World War II, some of which he is sure to share in this international storytelling event.
A global celebration of the art of oral storytelling, World Storytelling Day was started in Sweden in 1991 where it is called “Alla Berattares Dag,” and is observed every year on the spring equinox with a mission to have as many people telling and listening to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible. This year World Storytelling Day celebrations are planned in more than 25 countries.
The event will begin at 2:30 p.m. with an open mic concert featuring storytellers whose names are drawn from a hat. The evening concert featuring Bille and others will begin at 7:30. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the Clayton Center Box Office.