Painting the Tales

KATHERINE SOUTAR is an artist and illustrator who creates bespoke artwork for storytellers, songwriters and The History Press on the Folk Tales series. She also delivers workshops blending art and storytelling, and gives presentations and talks on illustration. During term time she works as Artist in Residence at Madeley Academy. Katherine has a first class Honours degree in Art and a postgraduate diploma in Art Therapy. Her studio is at Maws Craft Centre, Jackfield. TAFFY THOMAS is a professional storyteller who gives around 300 storytelling performances across the country each year. He was the founder of legendary '70s folk theatre company Magic Lantern, who used shadow puppets and storytelling to illustrate folk tales. After surviving a major stroke in 1985 he used oral storytelling as speech therapy, which led him to find a new career working as a storyteller.

One of the UK's most loved storytellers, he was made an MBE in the 2000 New Year's Honours List for services to storytelling and charity. In 2000-2011 he became the first laureate for storytelling, a role created to promote the power of stories. Taffy is the artistic director of the Northern Centre for Storytelling in Grasmere and the author of many collections of folk tales for The History Press. He lives in Grasmere, Ambleside.