Croatia's Jasna Held, who will tell stories of her life in Croatia during the war
Karen Price, Western Mail Jul 2 2005
WHILE the Hay Literary Festival may be over for another year, Wales is now hosting its annual storytelling event.
Beyond the Border, which opened last night, features performances by writers such as children's favourite Cat Weatherill as well as a host of international names.
The event is dedicated to promoting understanding of the world's pre-literature and oral traditions.
Staged at St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, Beyond the Border was launched in 1993 and was the centrepiece of a Wales-wide month of storytelling as part of the UK Year of Literature in 1995.
Since then, it has regularly attracted several thousand visitors each year from all over Wales and the world.
The main festival is accompanied by a programme of community outreach work, taking storytellers into schools, hospitals and community centres across South Wales.
Among this year's highlights are the visit from Weatherill, who has written a new children's novel, Barkbelly.
Storytellers who will be travelling to Wales especially for the event include Turkey's Serap Guven and Croatia's Jasna Held, who will tell stories of her life in Croatia during the war. There are also stage shows, music and puppets.
Beyond the Border runs until tomorrow. For further details, ring 01446 799100 or visit the website at www.beyondtheborder.com
