119: STORYTELLER: Gauri Raje on anthropology, storytelling as listening, narratives of displacement and Scotland

It’s episode #119 and I’m chatting with Gauri Raje, a storyteller, educator and workshop facilitator working with adolescents and adults from multilingual, multicultural and disadvantaged backgrounds.

I first encountered Gauri when I signed up for the Anima Mundi School’s Fairytale Kitchen series. Gauri is one of the two storytellers in that series, and one of 3 story interpreters, in that, after the story is told, she discusses it as a storyteller and anthropologist, alongside founder of the school, Jungian Analyst Faranak Mirjalili (who often co-tells with Gauri) and other special guests.

How marvelous. I keep signing up for Fairytale Kitchen for their stellar storytelling skills alongside the wonderful nuanced discussions that arise after. 

So, how could I not invite Gauri on to the podcast? We have a shared love of anthropology, and story, and, to be honest, we don’t have enough opportunities to listen to stories from true storytellers. 

You can trust that this conversation includes a story, told by Gauri, and a wonderful and wide-ranging discussion, including the reasons why Gauri decided to become a proper storyteller. But, first, a little more about her:

Gauri is a first generation Asian migrant to the the British Isles. She has lived in various parts of the UK, before settling to Scotland 5 years ago. 

She completed her PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Warwick, studying narratives of hunger and displacement among an indigenous community in western India over 3 generations. 

She has been apprenticed to storytelling from 2011, as a professional storyteller.

She came to storytelling first as a listener, and then began her practice of storytelling through telling biographical stories. 

It is only after many years that she has begun to tell myths and ancient tales. She is fascinated with myths and ancient tales in how they hold community memories and create a container.

It was so lovely to connect with Gauri, and I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy listening in.

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Episode Transcript – coming soon

(note: the transcript is autogenerated by AI and is about 85% accurate)