As part of our 30th anniversary, we’re looking back to move forward. I’ve been casting my mind back to some of my own highlights from Story Café (too many to recount…).
What I love about Story Café is that it totally reinvigorates your lunchtime, often in unexpected ways. Here are some of my memories about being nourished not only be delicious food, but by music, laughter, and storytelling. Special shout-out to my wonderful colleague Syma Ahmed, who co-hosted some of these sessions
Tales of food, friendship and traditions with Lesley O’ Brien
During Book Week Scotland in 2017, it was a total joy to welcome Lesley O’ Brien around the table. Born and brought up in the East End of Glasgow, Lesley has travelled all over the world, exploring her passion for stories, and her belief that they can touch body, heart and soul. In 2015, she formed the band ‘Kittlin’, an all women line up with fiddle, flute, accordion and guitar, singing original material inspired by traditional folktales and the people and landscape of Scotland. With tales of food, friendships and traditions, peppered throughout with songs, this Story Cafe was a glorious culinary and sensory feast – the perfect way to celebrate Book Week Scotland’s theme, Nourish.
You can find out more about Lesley’s work here
Urdu poetry and song with Shamshad Ghani
Shamshad Ghani is an Urdu poet of Pakistani origin, based in Scotland, who is renowned for her humour. We were exhilarated by her unforgettable ‘never-heard-before’ translation and performance of Auld Lang Syne in Punjabi at our Alternative Burns Supper in January 2018.
In June 2018, Shamshad delighted us by singing poems from her latest collection, Shad Shamshad ji ki parodiyaan (Parodies with Shamshad), and told fascinating and funny stories about her life. It was a lunchtime brimful of laughter, generosity and sharing. Syma – thanks for your amazing ‘on-to-spot’ English translations of Shamshad’s poems and stories!
Storytelling magic with Gauri Raje
Gauri Raje is an anthropologist and storyteller who performs regularly in the UK and India. In the summer of 2018, Gauri enthralled us with traditional stories of women from India and Scotland, in English, Gujarati and Urdu. ‘You could hear a pin drop, we were all totally spellbound!’ ‘This is the first time I’ve heard to a professional storyteller, I loved every word! I felt transported back to childhood, feeling that sense of wonder when you’re totally caught up in a story. Thank you Gauri, for bringing a little bit of magic around our table.
Laughter with Lubna Kerr
Book Week Scotland 2019 had the brilliant theme of Blether. Syma and I were thrilled to welcome Scottish Asian comedian and actor Lubna Kerr, for an afternoon of comedy and stories. In true GWL style, we weren’t going to let our ongoing ‘broken boiler at the Library’ woes get in the way of a good blether and banquet of delicious food, so we relocated around the corner to our welcoming neighbours at Church House. A joyful, riotously funny few hours unfolded. We even had some impromptu comedy in Urdu from a wonderfully funny mother-daughter duo in our audience. Unforgettable!
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