Profile

Susan’s storytelling career started with her work in Early Years.

Susan began her career at age 16. After completing her NNEB and Montessori teaching diploma she set off to travel the world, working in countries as far apart as Pakistan and Samoa. During her travels Susan worked with both main stream and special needs children. Susan noted that wherever she worked, positive comments where made on her ability to entertain the children, especially through stories. These comments can be found in written references:

“Susan is a skilled storyteller which was a constant source of enjoyment to the children and me” Diana Forrester, Australia 1988.

“She has the most wonderful imagination and storytelling abilities which captivate the children” Kindergarten Head teacher. 1991.

On return from her travels, Susan undertook a BSc in Psychology. The Degree was undertaken with the aim of trying to show the vital role imagination plays in education. Susan graduated, but academia was too limiting on her own imagination so she retuned to the world of young children! Shortly afterwards marrying and then becoming a full time mother. To ensure her daughters early years were filled with imagination Susan herself ran the local pre-school. Though all the time she found herself being increasingly drawn to performing stories, not only for the children in her care, but to wider audiences too. The rest is history, as the say – Susan reached a point where she knew that there was really only one way to fulfil her passion for engaging in story – and that was to become a professional storyteller!  It was around this time that Susan met Maggie which resulted in the forming of StoryRoots early in 2004.

Whenever time and availability allow, Susan attends training for her art. This has included courses at Emerson School of Storytelling; a Foundation Course in Performance Storytelling with Ben Haggerty, and regular vocal development instruction classes.

Susan lives in a small village in Bedfordshire, with her husband, daughter, and her Dalmatian dog.