Katy
asked
Samuel DenHartog:
What makes you qualified to write "Fables from Japan?" Are you Japanese?
Samuel DenHartog
While I am not Japanese, my passion for folklore and fables transcends cultural boundaries. As a storyteller, my goal is to preserve and celebrate various cultures' rich oral and literary traditions, ensuring that their timeless wisdom is passed on to new generations. I approach each fable collection with deep respect for the original source material, immersing myself in the history, themes, and values embedded within these stories.
In the case of "Fables from Japan," I have drawn from classic, public-domain sources that reflect Japan’s cultural heritage, carefully reworking the tales in modern language to make them accessible to contemporary readers. Unlike Andrew Lang, who often mixed stories from various cultures in his "Fairy Books" series, I prefer to group all of the fables and fairy tales from a particular country or culture together. This allows readers to immerse themselves fully in that culture’s storytelling traditions, gaining a deeper appreciation for the themes and values that shaped those tales so long ago. My role is not to replace or rewrite history but to act as a bridge, bringing these stories to life in a way that respects their origins while allowing new audiences to connect with them.
I have completed twenty-four "Fables" books and plan to work on at least six more, each focusing on a different country or culture. There is no way I can be from all of those cultures, but that does not mean I cannot study and respect them deeply. By dedicating myself to learning about these traditions, I can faithfully retell these stories so that all of my readers can enjoy fables from around the world. I aim to allow readers to explore diverse cultural heritages, one story at a time, and discover the universal wisdom in every tale.
Every culture has a wealth of wisdom and creativity to offer, and I see myself as a curator and storyteller, honoring the voices of the past as I help them resonate with today's readers.
In the case of "Fables from Japan," I have drawn from classic, public-domain sources that reflect Japan’s cultural heritage, carefully reworking the tales in modern language to make them accessible to contemporary readers. Unlike Andrew Lang, who often mixed stories from various cultures in his "Fairy Books" series, I prefer to group all of the fables and fairy tales from a particular country or culture together. This allows readers to immerse themselves fully in that culture’s storytelling traditions, gaining a deeper appreciation for the themes and values that shaped those tales so long ago. My role is not to replace or rewrite history but to act as a bridge, bringing these stories to life in a way that respects their origins while allowing new audiences to connect with them.
I have completed twenty-four "Fables" books and plan to work on at least six more, each focusing on a different country or culture. There is no way I can be from all of those cultures, but that does not mean I cannot study and respect them deeply. By dedicating myself to learning about these traditions, I can faithfully retell these stories so that all of my readers can enjoy fables from around the world. I aim to allow readers to explore diverse cultural heritages, one story at a time, and discover the universal wisdom in every tale.
Every culture has a wealth of wisdom and creativity to offer, and I see myself as a curator and storyteller, honoring the voices of the past as I help them resonate with today's readers.
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