From folklore to feelings: Rise of personal storytelling spaces in Chennai

CHENNAI: Stories move us. They help us heal, connect, and grow — not just stories from books or folklore, but personal ones too. In recent years, there’s been a quiet but powerful rise in communities that offer safe, welcoming spaces for people to share their stories, be it from their lives, imagination, or experiences.

One such initiative is Oru Tea Sapdalama? (OTS), a Tamil community for story lovers, supported by Ezhuthupizhai, a book publishing platform. At one of their recent storytelling gatherings, the topic was simple yet evocative: Your Comfort Movie. Participants sat together over cups of tea, sharing deeply personal stories and reflections connected to films that offered them comfort.

Gaddy Disney, a core member of OTS, explains, “Ezhuthupizhai, which has published five books by Mano Bharathi, became the foundation for a vision he held close — to create an open, welcoming space for storytelling. That vision brought together a group of like-minded individuals, and from it, Oru Tea Sapdalama? was born.”

Each month, the group picks a theme, something uplifting, relatable, or thought-provoking, and invites people to share stories from their unique perspectives. “There’s no pressure to perform. You could be a speaker or simply a listener. It’s not just about sharing stories. It’s about meaningful conversations, forming real connections, and building a community,” he adds.

In a world that often prioritises digital interaction over real-life connection, communities like this offer something different, a return to face-to-face storytelling, where voices, expressions, and emotions are part of the experience. “The sessions are intimate, usually three hours long, and by the end, no one leaves empty-handed. You might walk in with one story, but you’ll leave with many more,” Gaddy shares.

The storytelling movement in Chennai has grown remarkably over the years. Seventeen years ago, when Eric Miller co-founded the World Storytelling Institute, the idea of storytelling events was still new. “Back then, most sessions focused on literature from around the world. But today, the definition of storytelling has broadened. Communities across the city now host events that blend personal storytelling, poetry, performance, and sometimes even humour. Whether grounded in literature or lived experience, these gatherings serve one unifying purpose: to bring people together. They are creative, inclusive spaces where stories spark conversations and conversations spark connection,” says Eric.