Western Isles Folk Tales

Folk Tales

by Ian Stephen

Western Isles Folk Tales is a representative collection of stories from the geographical span of the long chain of islands known as the Outer Hebrides. Some are well-known tales and others have been sought out by the author, but all are retold in the natural voice of a local man. You will find premonitions, accounts of uncanny events and mythical beings, such as the blue men of the stream who test mariners venturing into the tidal currents around the Shiant Islands. Also included are tales from islands now uninhabited, like the archipelago of St Kilda, in contrast to the witty yarns from bustling harbours.The author was the inaugural winner of the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship (1995) and his Acts of Trust collaboration with visual artist Christine Morrison won the multi-arts category in the first British Awards for Storytelling Excellence (2012). Both author and illustrator live in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.

Genres: Folklore, Scotland

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2014

About the author

Ian Stephen is a writer, storyteller, artist and sailor from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. He studied English, Drama and Education at the University of Aberdeen. His prose, poetry and drama has been published around the world and garnered several awards, including the Robert Louis Stevenson Award. He was the first artist-in-residence at StAnza, Scotland’s annual poetry festival. He is the author of Living at the Edge (1982), a book of short stories, and Malin, Hebrides, Minches (1983), a collection of poems.

Reviews

[Hannah Figgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable collection of tales. The stories range from the dark, eerie, and tragic to the witty, humorous, and just downright funny. I enjoyed the writing style as well; the oral storytelling influence comes through strongly and the stories feel more like part of a face-to-face conversation than printed words on a page. Perfect for reading on cold winter nights next to the fire with a cup of hot tea or toddy-- though for me it'll be equally welcome in any place at any time of year. I definitely want to tell some of the stories myself, as the author encourages the reader to do.