Judges of Storytelling Mothers Festival will choose three best storytelling mothers among the 24 finalists today, Wednesday March 7, in Enqelab Cultural center.

IBNA: The first edition of Storytelling Mothers Festival kicked off some 5 months ago while the participants, following passing an educational course, competed with each other and finally 5 storytellers were selected from each district for the first judging stage.

Among the shortlist, 24 finalists were chosen. The finalist competed today in Enqelab Cultural center.

The jury panel picked up three storytellers which will be lauded during the festival's closing ceremony.

The final judgment will be made by Mostafa Rahmandoost, author and literature expert of children and young adults as well as Sepideh Khalili, children's psychologist and translator as well as Maryam Nashiba, children and adolescent's storyteller.

Secretary of Storytelling Mothers Festival, Jafar Raisian-zadeh said:" The main object of holding the Storytelling Mothers Festival was reviving the culture of storytelling which will finally encourage the children and adolescents to reading."

Mostafa Rahmandoost said that as proven in the world, modern storytelling indeed develops reading. Such a thing had to happen and now the municipality has held the festival which pursues the goal. I hope that the festival will develop in the future.

Elham Abedini was a selected storyteller who has a 4 year-old daughter. She said:" During my pregnancy I used to read all the poems and stories to my baby which I had learned during my childhood. Then when she was born I use to read Shokoh Qasem-nia and Naser Keshavarz's works for her while she looked at the book's illustrations."

Accordingly when my child was able to talk, she knew 60 poems by heart. Moreover she was highly influenced by the books rather than me, who was her mother.

She went on to say that considering the impacts of books and stories, I decided to attend the festival. I decided to choose books which had indirect educational points since the children will learn better and will enjoy the books as well.

Habibeh Azadi was the other finalist, who attended the festival with her 6 year-old daughter. She said:" I was a stage actor some 10 years ago and now I experienced performing once again."

The closing ceremony of the Storytelling Mothers Festival will be held on Monday, March 12, at Tehran's Milad Tower in which the three laureates will be hailed.

Id : 132190