Alice Lannon - Storykeeper

Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the special places in North America that has a rich tradition of local folktales.

In his book “Little Jack and other Newfoundland Folktales” researcher Dr. John Widdowson writes, “these fictional stories, which form part of an international stock of such narratives, used to be common in the British Isles, but have survived in Newfoundland for much longer than in most, if not all, other parts of the English-speaking world.”

As part of the conference, one of the most recognized tradition bearers of Newfoundland folk material, Alice Lannon, will be honoured.

Widely known and highly respected on the island as a teller of traditional and community tales, Alice Lannon lives in Southeast Placentia. She has told stories at festivals, workshops and special heritage events, and credits her gift as a storyteller to her grandmother.

Mrs Lannon, and the fascinating world of Newfoundland folktales, will be introduced to conference goers by Dr. Martin Lovelace of Memorial’s Folklore Department. Dr. Lovelace's areas of research and teaching are in folk literature, especially Märchen, and ballad, with an emphasis on the relationship between these genres and social reality. Atlantic Canada is an ideal context for work on this theme, given the region’s long history of folklore collection, rich archival holdings, and its continuing opportunities to work with tradition-bearers.