Marina Warner on ‘why we tell stories’

Institute for Cultural Research hosts two day seminar on ‘The Power of Stories’

18 February 2009

Marina Warner, who was shortlisted twice for the Booker Prize in 1998 and 2001, and was a judge for the 1985 prize, will be speaking at a two-day seminar in London exploring 'the power of stories'.

She will join prominent writers and social anthropologists brought together by The Institute for Cultural Research for The Power of Stories seminar, taking place over two days at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London on 28 and 29 March 2009.  

The seminar will proceed from the entertainments of The Arabian Nights to renowned contemporary writers and storytellers. It will investigate the role of the teaching story in the Oriental mystical tradition and ask how such stories continue to hold a power over us. It will examine the role of magic and explore the way stories give meaning to our lives and to the places we inhabit. It will also examine how myths and tales can help people survive trauma and how the stories we tell about ourselves and our illnesses may even influence our ability to heal.

Tickets are available online or by calling 020 8452 0960 (UK)

The Man Booker Prize Fiction at its finest