Tales by the Fireplace: Stories from Forgotten Diaries

Narrated by Mija Stopar

At this storytelling evening, Mija Stopar brings back memories of the people of Prlekija who were so dear to her, among whom she spent her childhood and part of her youth, and to whom she returned time and again throughout her life. Memories worn into the paths along the hillsides, into white, straw-thatched timber-and-clay cottages, and into the modest lives of people who left her an immeasurable wealth: stories, tales, and songs.

These memories, imbued with the spirits of her ancestors and the power of place, have accompanied her throughout her life. Over the decades, she has generously shared her gifts with others: first as a preschool teacher to many generations of children, and later by telling fairy tales in the library and on theatre stages, as well as through the Loške smojke group. Together with her fellow performers, she brought written and orally transmitted stories and songs back to life and presented them at events throughout Slovenia.

Throughout her many years of creative work, Mija Stopar has woven together storytelling, theatre, dramatization, costume design, and scenography. For the past three decades, she has also helped create storytelling programmes at the library.

The evening is a tribute to memory, folk tradition, and the places that remain within us for a lifetime.