World Storytelling Day: Celebrating the Art of Narration

Every year on March 19, we celebrate World Storytelling Day, honoring the art of oral narration. This day encourages people from all backgrounds to share and listen to stories, strengthening the bonds of human connection and preserving this timeless tradition.

The Storytelling Festival

In our capital, Ljubljana, the Storytelling Festival (Pripovedovalski festival) is held annually. It is one of Europe's oldest and most significant storytelling festivals. Established in 1997, it celebrates the rich tradition of oral narrating that highlights storytelling's power to transcend generations and cultures.

The Storytelling Festival is hosted as part of the program of Cankarjev dom, Slovenia's premier cultural center. It unites local and international storytellers, who bring their tales to life through a unique blend of spoken word and music, offering a mesmerizing experience for both children and adults.

The 28th edition, which took place from March 1 to March 9, 2025, featured a rich program of performances, workshops, and discussions that attracted large audiences to enjoy.

Nurturing Young Minds

In Slovenia, storytelling isn't just a pastime – it's practically a national sport. From the earliest school days, kids dive into a world of imagination with the Reading Badge (Bralna značka) program. This beloved tradition inspires children to turn pages and explore the written word from kindergarten to high school. Each year, young bookworms read selected literature and poetry, earning recognition for their dedication.

Since the 2003/2004 school year, over 349,500 books have been gifted to so-called Golden Readers (zlati bralci) at the end of their primary education.

Slovenia also celebrates literary excellence with Cankar's Competition (Cankarjevo tekmovanje), an annual contest in Slovenian language and literature.

Named after one of Slovenia's most celebrated writers, Ivan Cankar, this competition challenges students to craft insightful essays on selected literary works, with bronze, silver, or gold awards. Through the program, Slovenia continues to kindle a lifelong love for words in its youth.

Slovenia's Love Story with Literature

Rich literary culture extends well beyond classrooms and finds a special place in the heart of its public libraries, which continue to thrive as lively community spaces, welcoming readers of all ages. More than 436,000 Slovenians are registered members of public libraries, making them integral to the country's literary landscape.

The country is home to 277 general libraries, with the national treasure – Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica (NUK) in Ljubljana – standing out as the largest and most prestigious.

Whether a devoted ''knjižni molj'' (a popular expression for bookworms) or someone who enjoys a good book every now and then, Slovenians find plenty of joy between the covers of books – from timeless classics to the latest bestsellers. Libraries remain not only a sanctuary for book lovers but also a proof of power of the written word, where stories continue to inspire new generations of readers.

Storytelling, whether through the spoken word or the pages of a book, is a bridge between cultures, generations, and experiences. Whispered by a grandmother to her grandchildren, performed on a grand stage, or passed down through literature, stories have the power to inspire everyone.