Piret Päär

A legendary Estonian storyteller and educator with over 35 years of experience.
Piret has dedicated her life to preserving the storytelling tradition, teaching, and engaging adults with old folktales. 
Her passion lies in Estonian folklore and forgotten fairy tales from around the world.

Storytelling as the best way to understand the world

Storytelling - it's the best way communicate effectively and make sense of the world. Good story, the right time, the right place, can change the world.

Throughout history, people have sought the truth of life, the secret of life, how to be human. Stories are like invisible threads that connect us across time, place, cultural, ethnic origins, age and everything else that sometimes separates us.
I have many stories that fascinate me, and when something happens to me in life, that encounter makes that old story come alive again. Folktales are also very contemporary: people haven’t changed over the centuries. People love in exactly the same way, people betray in exactly the same way.

There is no doubt that our common understanding is that fairy tales and folktales are all very suitable for children’s bedtime stories. But if adults themselves aren’t fascinated by these stories, then children won’t have that experience either. Listening to a good story creates a connection between different people and we recognize how we are with the same fears, graces and scars. Stories are very powerful tools in creating and maintaining community and raising children.