A leading voice from the UK's storytelling community has issued a powerful reminder of the ancient roots of narrative, responding to a recent trend of businesses hiring professionals to 'own the narrative'.
Danyah Miller, a trustee of the Society for Storytelling, has written a letter to the Guardian in reaction to a feature on storytelling as an emerging corporate skill. While companies may now be packaging it as a strategic communications tool, Miller asserts that the craft is a profound human art form, far predating and exceeding any modern job description.
The Timeless Human Art of Connection
Miller argues that the corporate world's recent embrace of storytelling highlights a deep and growing human need for meaningful connection. This need intensifies in an era saturated with data and digital distraction. The instinct to share and listen to stories, however, is not a boardroom innovation.
For over three decades, the Society for Storytelling has promoted oral storytelling in its myriad forms. Through its comprehensive online directory, people across the UK can find storytellers practising in diverse settings including schools, theatres, workplaces, and care homes.
In the oral tradition, the teller and listener collaboratively create meaning in real-time. This shared experience transports participants, offering glimpses into other worlds, lives, and perspectives. It is this unique, co-creative power that businesses are now beginning to recognise and seek to harness.
Cognitive and Emotional Benefits Across a Lifetime
Extensive research and practice demonstrate that storytelling significantly supports cognitive function, aids memory, and builds emotional resilience. The act of listening to and telling stories fulfils a core human desire to feel seen and understood.
Oral storytelling is a powerful engine for building empathy, while also strengthening crucial skills in listening and imagination. For children, it provides a critical foundation for literacy, enriches vocabulary, and encourages playful, creative thinking long before they engage with written text.
However, the power of narrative does not diminish with age. For adults, sharing stories fortifies social bonds, helps individuals navigate life's complexities, and supports overall emotional health and wellbeing. It is a universal tool for making sense of our experiences.
A Heartbeat, Not Just a Job
Miller's central argument is a poignant one: stories are far more than a professional competency or a corporate strategy. "Stories are not just jobs; they are the heartbeat of human life," she writes. Her letter serves as a call to acknowledge and preserve this fundamental aspect of our humanity, urging us to continue telling and sharing stories in all contexts, beyond the confines of business objectives.
The response underscores that while the commercial world may adopt the language and techniques of storytelling, its essence remains a shared, ancient practice vital to personal and communal wellbeing.
