Stories from the Hearth artwork

Stories from the Hearth

67 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratings

Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling podcast, a free artistic space in the style of a painter's studio or writer's diary. It is a place for you to lose yourself in truly original short stories and their immersive soundscapes, written, narrated, and produced by Scottish poet Cal Bannerman. Learn about the history of storytelling in occasional miniseries The Wandering Bard, or escape your daily stresses with one of Cal's queer-focused fantasy, historical, supernatural and science fiction stand-alone monthly stories. Episodes range from 15-90 minutes long, and are aimed at an adult audience. Original artwork by Anna Ferrara.

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Episodes

Mother Pearl and the Nuclear Disaster (Sci-Fi Horror) - Story #16

May 29, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB

A love letter to Gojira, a post-Cold War parable, a tale of confinement, escape, and approaching catastrophe. Mother Pearl and the Nuclear Disaster is all of these things and more. It is the story of a child born into nuclear winter, a community obsessed with a giant pearl, a president with a woefully short memory, and a world entirely unprepared for the end. "Gather, my neighbours, and rejoice; fear not the night that lasts the day, for Mother Pearl shall be our guiding light, our torch in ...

The Fox That Moved in Upstairs (Glaswegian Fauxklore) - Story #15

April 24, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MB

Bumps in the night. Shrieks through the wall. Strange smells in the hallway. A long-empty flat suddenly occupied by a reclusive and rather... furry individual. Upstairs neighbours are - let's face it - a nuisance, an anomaly, the bane of all apartment blocks. But when an urban fox moves into the flat upstairs in a crumbling Glasgow tenement, the residents face their most unruly neighbour yet. A Scottish folktale for modern times; a whimsical look at life as a 21st century city dweller. CW: ...

The Art of Floating (Surreal Satire) - Story #14

March 27, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MB

An old woman with her can of spray paint invokes the anger of the Argentinian government, a group of armed civilians, and an American newsroom run by some questionable characters. At the core of what becomes an international crisis lies an ancient cave painting: hundreds of human hands overlapping each other. A painting to which the old lady feels drawn, and which might just hold the key to the secret art of floating. CW: homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny Stories from the Hearth is an exper...

La Ville des Nuages Noirs (Magical Crime Noir) - Story #13

February 27, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 79.3 MB

Detective-Inspector Rosa Dubois is half-magic, half-human, and ever since she got blipped up here to the City of Black Clouds she's been searching for a case. A real case. With you (Igor the guinea pig familiar) by her side, Rosa bites off more than she can chew when a mysterious witch comes to town in this neon-noir, magical crime-fighting comedy. Guest voice work: Jen Anderson, as DI Dubois. CW: animal abuse Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling podcast, a free artisti...

The Bard - A First Birthday Special!

January 10, 2022 17:26 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MB

It's our very first birthday! Come gather round the fire with us once more in this special birthday short story. Take a look at what the future holds for Stories from the Hearth, and learn how you can be a part of it. Wrap yourself in some fiction and hunker down by the hearth, it's getting cold out there. The next story episode of Stories from the Hearth is out 27th February 2022. Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience featuring truly original fiction and thoug...

From the Bauer of a Larch in Autumn (Mental Health) - Story #12

November 28, 2021 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MB

Avery is about to turn 28, which means that soon she'll have lived longer than her father, the legendary rock-star Kash Bauer, ever did. She's been dealing with that fact all year, and this morning she can't seem to escape it. By the boughs of a larch in autumn, Avery Bauer seeks the answers to her questions. Dealing with depression, mania, and suicide, this is a story about mental health, family, and the healing power of closure. This episode is dedicated to the memory of my friend, M.S. C...

The Wandering Burger - An Interview with Joe Fisher of Midnight Burger

November 14, 2021 07:00 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MB

An extra special episode of The Wandering Bard on Stories from the Hearth, in which Cal holds a conversation on storytelling with Joe Fisher, creator of the popular sci-fi audio drama Midnight Burger. Cal and Joe chat about Prince, Shakespeare, and the Devil; the terrors of the Metaverse, the safety of the multiverse, and the future of storytelling. This episode marks the first creator-to-creator interview hosted on Stories from the Hearth. The Wandering Bard is a bonus mini-series on the f...

The Selkie of Beinn nam Mic Caillte (Halloween Horror) - Story #11

October 31, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MB

In a loch in the lee of a mountain in the Scottish Highlands there lives an ancient king. Banished by his people millennia ago, these days he survives on trickery, deceit... and the flesh of human men. This Halloween, a group of friends meet a stranger on the mountain trail. Together, they take shelter in a ramshackle bothy on the edges of the loch. But, are the legends really true? And will these four friends last the night? This bone-chilling tale is based on Scottish folklore, and is a St...

Minisode 7 - The Merwife of Shetland

October 10, 2021 07:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MB

In the Stories from the Hearth minisodes, Calum reads a classic story from the public domain - be it fable, fairy-tale, legend or moral; European, or International. In minisode seven, they read their very own, original version of 'The Merwife of Shetland', an ancient folktale regarding the seal-people (or selkies) of the seas surrounding Scotland. In the tale, a merwoman is dancing upon the beaches of Unst, in north Shetland, when a local man steals her sealskin, thus binding her to the eart...

The Merwife of Shetland (Bonus Minisode #7)

October 10, 2021 07:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

In the Stories from the Hearth minisode series - normally exclusive to Patreon - Calum reads a classic story from the public domain; be it fable, fairy-tale, or moral; European, or International. Sometimes they perform them as they were first told, sometimes they rewrite them in their own style, and sometimes they perform bits and pieces from their own body of work. In minisode seven, they read their very own, original version of 'The Merwife of Shetland', an ancient folktale regarding the s...

Modest Mussorgsky and the Lonely Soldier (Historical Romance) - Story #10

September 26, 2021 07:00 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MB

Ludoslaw Dragon is a lonely drunk. Ludoslaw Dragon has a hole in his heart. Ludoslaw Dragon has disappeared... In the aftermath of World War Two, a once-picturesque Polish town hides a dark secret beneath its air-raid rubble. A photograph of a young pianist is found amongst Ludoslaw's clothes. A heart-breaking love affair comes to the surface. Stories from the Hearth is an immersive storytelling experience featuring truly original fiction backed by thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim...

TWB - Who Are The Storytellers? (Chinese Shadow Puppets)

September 12, 2021 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MB

By flickering candlelight, Chinese storytellers have been telling tales with exquisite, colourful shadow puppets for over two-thousand years. Surviving war, famine, regime changes and revolutions, this is one of the world's oldest and most intricate storytelling traditions. I look at the music, singing, and puppetry of the artform, the training its mastery requires, why it has a decentralized, anarchist structure, how it survived its tumultuous history, and what a future version of Chinese s...

Chinese Shadow Puppets - TWB S2 E3

September 12, 2021 07:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MB

By flickering candlelight, Chinese storytellers have been telling tales with exquisite, colourful shadow puppets for over two-thousand years. Surviving war, famine, regime changes and revolutions, this is one of the world's oldest and most intricate storytelling traditions. I look at the music, singing, and puppetry of the artform, the training its mastery requires, why it has a decentralized, anarchist structure, how it survived its tumultuous history, and what a future version of Chinese s...

Caveworm: 2/2 (Fantasy Drama) - Story #9

August 29, 2021 07:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MB

Reaching the elven town of Eldritch, it soon became clear to Lucky the troll that their kind was unwanted. Now, Lucky is set to face an even greater threat: a sect of zealous mages whose singular purpose is to bring about the extinction of the trollish race. Where has Lucky's sister-in-law Diaphony Le Viol disappeared to? How will trollish pacifism stand up to elven aggression? Find out how this family-friendly, queer fantasy epic concludes in Caveworm: Part Two. (This episode is part 2 of 2...

12 - Caveworm (Part Two)

August 29, 2021 07:00 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MB

Reaching the elven town of Eldritch, it soon became clear to Lucky the troll that their kind was unwanted. Now, Lucky is set to face an even greater threat: a sect of zealous mages whose singular purpose is to bring about the extinction of the trollish race. Where has Lucky's sister-in-law Diaphony Le Viol disappeared to? How will trollish pacifism stand up to elven aggression? Find out how this family-friendly, queer fantasy epic concludes in Caveworm: Part Two. (This episode is part 2 of 2...

TWB - Who Are The Storytellers? (West African Griots)

August 08, 2021 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

In West Africa, speech goes deeper than just communication - the spoken word is imbued with the natural power to create and to give life. For centuries, West African storytellers have been advisors to kings, emperors, village elders and tribal chiefs. They have served as walking libraries, fonts of all knowledge, "the memory of humankind". And whilst the brutal slave trade of the 16th-19th centuries did its best to destroy West African culture, the legacy of the griots lives on in hip-hop, p...

West African Griots - TWB S2 E2

August 08, 2021 07:00 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MB

In West Africa, speech goes deeper than just communication - the spoken word is imbued with the natural power to create and to give life. For centuries, West African storytellers have been advisors to kings, emperors, village elders and tribal chiefs. They have served as walking libraries, fonts of all knowledge, "the memory of humankind". And whilst the brutal slave trade of the 16th-19th centuries did its best to destroy West African culture, the legacy of the griots lives on in hip-hop, p...

11 - Caveworm (Part One)

July 25, 2021 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MB

Lucky is the unluckiest troll in the Hole: a massive cave system which has provided sanctuary for trolls like Lucky since his great-great-great-grandpappy Grimblade's time. But now there's a newcomer - Lucky's sister has married an elven woman - and with the elf's arrival, the peace between trolls and the outside world threatens to come crashing down.  Stories from the Hearth is an immersive storytelling experience featuring truly original fiction backed by thoughtfully produced soundscapes...

Caveworm: 1/2 (Fantasy Drama) - Story #9

July 25, 2021 07:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MB

Lucky is the unluckiest troll in the Hole: a massive cave system which has provided sanctuary for trolls like Lucky since his great-great-great-grandpappy Grimblade's time. But now there's a newcomer - Lucky's sister has married an elven woman - and with the elf's arrival, the peace between trolls and the outside world threatens to come crashing down.  Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim...

TWB - Who Are The Storytellers? (Hawaiian Hula Dancers)

July 11, 2021 07:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MB

When Polynesians first settled the isolated Hawaiian Islands, they transformed traditional dancing into Hula, which almost all of us recognise in some form, even to this day. Except, Hula isn't just a dance, it is a complex, beautiful, and culturally important form of storytelling. Welcome to The Wandering Bard, a bonus historical series on Stories from the Hearth examining the history of storytelling. This month’s episode is the first in a new season asking "Who are the storytellers?" Toda...

Bonus - Who Are The Storytellers? (Hula Dancers)

July 11, 2021 07:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MB

When Polynesians first settled the isolated Hawaiian Islands, they transformed traditional dancing into Hula, which almost all of us recognise in some form, even to this day. Except, Hula isn't just a dance, it is a complex, beautiful, and culturally important form of storytelling. Welcome to The Wandering Bard, a bonus historical series on Stories from the Hearth examining the history of storytelling. This month’s episode is the first in a new season asking "Who are the storytellers?" Toda...

TWB - Who Are The Storytellers? (Hula)

July 11, 2021 07:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MB

When Polynesians first settled the isolated Hawaiian Islands, they transformed traditional dancing into Hula, which almost all of us recognise in some form, even to this day. Except, Hula isn't just a dance, it is a complex, beautiful, and culturally important form of storytelling. Welcome to The Wandering Bard, a bonus historical series on Stories from the Hearth examining the history of storytelling. This month’s episode is the first in a new season asking "Who are the storytellers?" Toda...

Hawaiian Hula Dancers - TWB S2 E1

July 11, 2021 07:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MB

When Polynesians first settled the isolated Hawaiian Islands, they transformed traditional dancing into Hula, which almost all of us recognise in some form, even to this day. Except, Hula isn't just a dance, it is a complex, beautiful, and culturally important form of storytelling. This is Part One in the second season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and natur...

10 - Lights Out

June 27, 2021 07:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

The end of the world isn't caused by a meteor, a nuclear blast, a monster or god. The end of the world isn't exciting, nor is it terrifying. The end of the world comes slowly, quietly. It is so subtle that humanity doesn't realise the end has come until it is too late. In the ruins of old Tokyo, one woman - born at the beginning of Lights Out - imagines what life must have been like in the days before... The aim of Stories from the Hearth is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient a...

Lights Out (Post-Apocalyptic Romance) - Story #8

June 27, 2021 07:00 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MB

The end of the world isn't caused by a meteor, a nuclear blast, a monster or god. The end of the world isn't exciting, nor is it terrifying. The end of the world comes slowly, quietly. It is so subtle that humanity doesn't realise the end has come until it is too late. In the ruins of old Tokyo, one woman - born at the beginning of Lights Out - imagines what life must have been like in the days before... Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original f...

Spirit (Fantasy Sci-Fi) - Story #7

June 06, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 79.8 MB

Deep in the jungle interior of the Southern Islands, a species of sentient beings live out their lives at peace and in harmony with the forest, and with the mountain at its heart. The Cónglín yōulíng, however, are not the only sentient species on their world, and as Onyongo is about to find out, there are others out there with less than honest intentions... CW: misgendering, violence Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfu...

9 - Spirit

June 06, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 78.1 MB

Deep in the jungle interior of the Southern Islands, a species of sentient beings live out their lives at peace and in harmony with the forest, and with the mountain at its heart. The Cónglín yōulíng, however, are not the only sentient species on their world, and as Onyongo is about to find out, there are others out there with less than honest intentions... CW: misgendering, violence The aim of Stories from the Hearth is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (...

TWB - Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part Three)

May 16, 2021 08:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB

Part Three in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we take a look at the role of storytelling in education and learning, and examine storytelling as a tool used to pass historical, moral,...

Why Do We Tell Stories? - TWB S1 E3

May 16, 2021 08:00 - 25 minutes - 23.3 MB

Part Three in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?”, and in today's episode, we examine the role of storytelling in education and learning, and examine storytelling as a tool used to pass historical, moral, and p...

Bonus - Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part Three)

May 16, 2021 08:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB

Part Three in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we take a look at the role of storytelling in education and learning, and examine storytelling as a tool used to pass historical, moral,...

The Pale Blue Dot: 2/2 (Sci-Fi Comedy) - Story #6

May 09, 2021 07:55 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MB

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, The Pale Blue Dot comes to its dramatic (and rather silly) conclusion. Flying freelancer Jahanara Khan is wanted by the Intergalactic Council of Sentience for the theft of the Brainiac - the multiverse's single standard of intelligence. But it seems all Khan is concerned with is money, and fame. Will she and her friend Glorfindel, the extraneously-conscious light-orb, escape the burning space station? Or will they fall prey to one of ...

8 - The Pale Blue Dot (Part Two)

May 09, 2021 07:55 - 53 minutes - 49 MB

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, The Pale Blue Dot comes to its dramatic (and rather silly) conclusion. Flying freelancer Jahanara Khan is wanted by the Intergalactic Council of Sentience for the theft of the Brainiac - the multiverse's single standard of intelligence. But it seems all Khan is concerned with is money, and fame. Will she and her friend Glorfindel, the extraneously-conscious light-orb, escape the burning space station? Or will they fall prey to one of ...

The Pale Blue Dot (Part One)

May 02, 2021 07:55 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MB

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, flying freelancer Jahanara Khan seeks refuge in a run-down space station called the Pale Blue Dot. It is a den of depravity and illicit transactions, run by a ragtag group of aliens including a disgruntled green blob, and a frighteningly upbeat Texan automaton. What Jahanara wants with such a place, we can hardly guess. But when she runs into an old, hyper-intelligent, floating friend, her dangerous secret soon becomes everybody's pro...

The Pale Blue Dot: 1/2 (Sci-Fi Comedy) - Story #6

May 02, 2021 07:55 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MB

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, flying freelancer Jahanara Khan seeks refuge in a run-down space station called the Pale Blue Dot. It is a den of depravity and illicit transactions, run by a ragtag group of aliens including a disgruntled green blob, and a frighteningly upbeat Texan automaton. What Jahanara wants with such a place, we can hardly guess. But when she runs into an old, hyper-intelligent, floating friend, her dangerous secret soon becomes everybody's pro...

7 - The Pale Blue Dot (Part One)

May 02, 2021 07:55 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MB

In this extra special episode of Stories from the Hearth, flying freelancer Jahanara Khan seeks refuge in a run-down space station called the Pale Blue Dot. It is a den of depravity and illicit transactions, run by a ragtag group of aliens including a disgruntled green blob, and a frighteningly upbeat Texan automaton. What Jahanara wants with such a place, we can hardly guess. But when she runs into an old, hyper-intelligent, floating friend, her dangerous secret soon becomes everybody's pro...

Bonus - Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part Two)

April 20, 2021 08:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB

Part Two in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we will be examining how storytelling forms the backbone of culture, and how through our stories we help to create, preserve, and challeng...

TWB - Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part Two)

April 20, 2021 08:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB

Part Two in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we will be examining how storytelling forms the backbone of culture, and how through our stories we help to create, preserve, and challeng...

Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part Two)

April 20, 2021 08:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB

Part Two in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we will be examining how storytelling forms the backbone of culture, and how through our stories we help to create, preserve, and challeng...

Why Do We Tell Stories? - TWB S1 E2

April 20, 2021 08:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

Part Two in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?”, and in today's episode, we examine how storytelling forms the backbone of culture, and how through our stories we help to create, preserve, and challenge our var...

6 - Tsujigiri: Death from the Shadows

April 11, 2021 07:55 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB

You stand in shadow. The moon is late to rise tonight. At your side is your katana, newly forged, never used. And so you wait, ready and eager to test its sting. This episode's story is based on the historical Samurai practice of tsujigiri (辻斬). CW: violence and character-specific sexist slurs The aim of Stories from the Hearth is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern...

Tsujigiri: Death from the Shadows (Historical Horror) - Story #5

April 11, 2021 07:55 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MB

You stand in shadow. The moon is late to rise tonight. At your side is your katana, newly forged, never used. And so you wait, ready and eager to test its sting. This episode's story is based on the historical Samurai practice of tsujigiri (辻斬). CW: violence and character-specific sexist slurs Stories from the Hearth is an experimental storytelling experience ft. truly original fiction and thoughtfully produced soundscapes. The aim of this podcast is to rekindle its listeners' love for the...

Tsujigiri: Death from the Shadows

April 11, 2021 07:55 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB

You stand in shadow. The moon is late to rise tonight. At your side is your katana, newly forged, never used. And so you wait, ready and eager to test its sting. This episode's story is based on the historical Samurai practice of tsujigiri (辻斬). The aim of Stories from the Hearth is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the frantic energies of the modern world. Episode #7 out Sunday 2nd May 2021 (02.05...

Why Do We Tell Stories? - TWB S1 E1

March 30, 2021 13:29 - 9 minutes - 9 MB

Part One in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's bonus historical and interview series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of The Wandering Bard examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as people behind it. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?”, and in today's episode, we examine how storytelling helps us to make sense of the world around us. In the next instalment of The Wandering Bard, we will be look...

TWB - Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part One)

March 30, 2021 13:29 - 7 minutes - 6.77 MB

Part One in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we will be examining how storytelling has been utilised throughout human history to make sense of the world around us. In the next instal...

Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part One)

March 30, 2021 13:29 - 7 minutes - 6.77 MB

Part One in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we will be examining how storytelling has been utilised throughout human history to make sense of the world around us. In the next instal...

Bonus - Why Do We Tell Stories? (Part One)

March 30, 2021 13:29 - 7 minutes - 6.77 MB

Part One in the first season of Stories from the Hearth's non-fiction series: The Wandering Bard. Each season of this bonus series examines a different aspect of the history and nature of storytelling, as well as the various roles it plays in our lives. In season one of The Wandering Bard, we ask the question “Why do we tell stories?” In today's episode, we will be examining how storytelling has been utilised throughout human history to make sense of the world around us. In the next instal...

The Keymaker (Part Two)

March 21, 2021 08:55 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB

Xi'an, China. 1967. A Kazakhstani writer has travelled through time to the heart of Communist China's barbaric Cultural Revolution. Now, he awaits trial, charged with crimes for which the penalty is death. The protagonist of his latest story, a girl called Junlei, finds herself trapped in a mysterious library. Solving the riddle of this library might just be the only means of escape, for both she and her author. But whilst both characters are held against their will, how could either of them...

The Keymaker: 2/2 (Time Travel Drama) - Story #4

March 21, 2021 08:55 - 1 hour - 57.2 MB

Xi'an, China. 1967. A Kazakhstani writer has travelled through time to the heart of Communist China's barbaric Cultural Revolution. Now, he awaits trial, charged with crimes for which the penalty is death. The protagonist of his latest story, a girl called Junlei, finds herself trapped in a mysterious library. Solving the riddle of this library might just be the only means of escape, for both she and her author. But whilst both characters are held against their will, how could either of them...

5 - The Keymaker (Part Two)

March 21, 2021 08:55 - 1 hour - 55.6 MB

Xi'an, China. 1967. A Kazakhstani writer has travelled through time to the heart of Communist China's barbaric Cultural Revolution. Now, he awaits trial, charged with crimes for which the penalty is death. The protagonist of his latest story, a girl called Junlei, finds herself trapped in a mysterious library. Solving the riddle of this library might just be the only means of escape, for both she and her author. But whilst both characters are held against their will, how could either of them...

The Keymaker (Part One)

March 14, 2021 08:55 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MB

Xi'an, China. 2045. A Kazakhstani writer sits down at his desk and begins to type. Beneath his fingers, the story of a young girl unfolds: she holds a mysterious key, inherited from her grandfather. As the key turns, and the world changes, the lives of the writer and his character must intersect, or fade from memory forever. The aim of Stories from the Hearth is to rekindle its listeners' love for the ancient art of storytelling (and story-listening), and to bring some small escapism to the...

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