Greetings Story lovers,

July is in full blossom, honey bees buzz from a nearby linden tree, the sun beats down upon the purple grasses, the salmon leap waterfalls on their journey home, here in the North of Scotland.

High summer is a gorgeous time to be in the highland countryside, so I'll be savouring these next few weeks before returning south for the epicentre of global arts in August- the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Most native Edinburgers have a love-hate relationship with the Fringe, with the frivolous creative feast just about eclipsing the annoying busyness and flyering.

This year, I bring 'A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun' to Edfringe (10-24 Aug). It's a mythic exploration into our relationship with the wolf and poses the question: "What do we lose when the wolf is absent?" It hasn't prowled these lands for 300 years and the landscape bears the scars. It has a gorgeous musical soundscape and lush visuals courtesy of the gifted Jemima Thewes.

I feel this show pushes at the edges of storytelling and ecology, folk arts and contemporary discussion, and presents issues relating wildness that are ripe for discussion now.

Curating a successful run at the fringe can be a costly affair, yet we'd love the edinburgh run to promote awareness around wolves and wildness, engage folk in traditional arts and cultures, and set the ball rolling for a rural Scottish tour. Hence we're running a crowdfunder with many fine prizes for anyone who feels to support us:

Support A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun

(artwork by Olivia Matar)

Other Show Recommendations

Obviously, there will be plenty more to see in Edinburgh during August. I've learned to trust the Scottish Storytelling Centre as a safe bet for shows, so I'll start there with a few shows I recommend:

Clare Murphy- The Spanking Goddess & other Discarded Tales

Clare is one of my favourite teller on the UK circuit, yet seldom comes to Scotland so this will be a rare treat to catch unfamiliar Celtic tales and subversive stories from a leading light of the contemporary storytelling scene. If you need more spanking in your storytelling then this is for you!

Mairi Campbell- Pulse

Mairi is nothing short of a creative genius, hence she presents three shows at Edfringe this year. I've seen them all, yet recommend the first of the trilogy "Pulse' for its powerful narrative of discovery in trad Scots culture and personal exploration. It blew my mind and stirred my heart when I saw it back in 2017. An eclectic show unlike anything else on the trad scene.

Kirsty Law- Scotland Unsung

I haven't seen this yet but Kirsty is great. A fine singer, songwriter and balladeer who often takes a creative approach to heritage and trad material, creating a fresh take for modern times. Her wit is sharp and her repertoire is eclectic. This will be a solid bet.

Browse the rest of the Scottish Storytelling Centre Fringe programme here.

Wolf Tracking in October

If a one hour immersion into wolf mythology and lore simply isn't enough for you, you may be interested in our event in Brandenburg, Germany in October (9-12). 4 days of wolf tracking, deep nature connection and storytelling revolving around our oldest and most evocative ally. I'm not aware of anything else like it.

Ticket link here: Wolf tracking in Brandenburg.

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Feel free to send me your Edfringe recommendations or wolfish inspiration.

Summer Blessings

Dougie