News and Events
Elinor Benjamin Receives The Storykeeper Award/Prix gardien(ne) de contes
2015-07-05
Elinor Benjamin Receives The Storykeeper Award/Prix gardien(ne) de contes
On Saturday, July 5, 2015 at 8:00 p.m., at the L'Anglicane Centre in Lévis, Quebec, Elinor Benjamin of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia received the Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada's highest award. The Storykeeper Award/Prix gardien(ne) de contes is presented to an outstanding storyteller, one who delights audiences with tales well told, mentors others and supports storytelling organizations at local, national and possibly even international levels.
The presentation took place during a national SC / CC conference, outside on the grounds of L'Anglicane, at the end of a meal featuring different tastes from the region. Ann Rothfels, of Eaton Corner, Quebec, who is the Chair of The Storykeeper Award Committee, made the presentation, outlining the criteria for winning the award and reading aloud a letter describing all of Elinor's achievements. A medal, hand-crafted by the artist George Foster of Ayer's Cliff, Quebec, depicting the logo of SC / CC, was also presented as part of the award.
In the past thirty years, Elinor has participated in numerous festivals. She has told in libraries, schools and concerts to audiences of all ages and she has appeared on the CBC. Her contribution to SC / CC as their Web Goddess, a position which she managed with grace in spite of many challenges, is without compare. A resident of the west coast of Newfoundland for over thirty years, she pursued her interest in storytelling in relative isolation until finding a sympathetic group in SC / CC, and a kindred spirit in traditional Newfoundland storyteller and fiddler, Emile Benoit, among others. In pursuit of excellence, she has worked with such distinguished tellers as Laura Simms, Doug Lipman, Jan Andrews, Jennifer Cayley and many others.
On Saturday, July 5, 2015 at 8:00 p.m., at the L'Anglicane Centre in Lévis, Quebec, Elinor Benjamin of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia received the Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada's highest award. The Storykeeper Award/Prix gardien(ne) de contes is presented to an outstanding storyteller, one who delights audiences with tales well told, mentors others and supports storytelling organizations at local, national and possibly even international levels.
The presentation took place during a national SC / CC conference, outside on the grounds of L'Anglicane, at the end of a meal featuring different tastes from the region. Ann Rothfels, of Eaton Corner, Quebec, who is the Chair of The Storykeeper Award Committee, made the presentation, outlining the criteria for winning the award and reading aloud a letter describing all of Elinor's achievements. A medal, hand-crafted by the artist George Foster of Ayer's Cliff, Quebec, depicting the logo of SC / CC, was also presented as part of the award.
In the past thirty years, Elinor has participated in numerous festivals. She has told in libraries, schools and concerts to audiences of all ages and she has appeared on the CBC. Her contribution to SC / CC as their Web Goddess, a position which she managed with grace in spite of many challenges, is without compare. A resident of the west coast of Newfoundland for over thirty years, she pursued her interest in storytelling in relative isolation until finding a sympathetic group in SC / CC, and a kindred spirit in traditional Newfoundland storyteller and fiddler, Emile Benoit, among others. In pursuit of excellence, she has worked with such distinguished tellers as Laura Simms, Doug Lipman, Jan Andrews, Jennifer Cayley and many others.
In accepting the award, Elinor, wearing a flower in her hair, enchanted us with her a capella rendition of the Beatles' song “In my Life”, letting those present know that in joining the organization, she had found family.