An exciting blend of narration, music, drama and movement, multifaceted personality, Janaki Sabesh’s storytelling as part of her initiative, Golpo Tales Unlimited is a seamless flow of fun and learning and imagination. As she continues sharing her stories virtually in the wake of Covid-19 scenario, Asrashaheen.in catches up with this vivacious storyteller.
The cries of a new born baby… the grinding and squeaking sounds of a pedal sewing machine… the rhythmic beats of drums… Well, it’s not a film playing in a cinema hall or musical theatre. It’s in fact a one-woman show – Janaki Sabesh conducting her storytelling session as part of her initiative, Golpo Tales Unlimited. When this multifaceted personality wields the mike, you can never take a back seat as a mute spectator. You never know when the vivacious storyteller will prompt you to join her in her theatrics. It’s that engaging!
Actor, media professional, storyteller and author, Janaki founded Golpo in 2014 with an endeavour to make stories and storytelling a cherishable experience for children and adults alike. She prefers to call herself the CFO of Golpo, CFO as in Chief Fun Officer. The word “Golpo” in Bengali means “stories” and the inspiration for this name is rooted in her childhood memories of Kolkata, where she grew up listening to golpos.
Her storytelling sessions are a vibrant blend of narration, music, drama and movement. For kids, Janaki designs her sessions such that there’s a seamless flow between fun and learning, widening their imagination. She collaborates with Karadi Tales, Tulika and other publishers to bring their stories to schools, literary festivals, theatre workshops and other events. And if you thought stories are only for kids, think again! Adults enjoy them equally and more. From folklore and mythology to inspirational and motivational stories, Janaki packs in a variety for adults. These sessions are designed to develop empathy, motivation and shifting perspectives.
As Janaki continues sharing her stories virtually in the wake of Covid-19 scenario, Asrashaheen.in catches up with the multifaceted storyteller.
Golpo just turned six! It’s a milestone, indeed. Walk us through this memorable journey so far.
The past 6 years have been such a happy journey! I have been interacting with children for many years now. In 1995, I brought out a cassette called “The Learning Train” a musical album to make Maths fun. Over the years, I used to narrate stories at Good Books, Hippocampus and also engage with kids through sing along sessions. In 2014, I started Golpo Tales because I wanted to dedicate more time to this. At the beginning, I just had two children who came home. As word got around, more children joined and we moved to a space on my friend’s terrace. As we grew, we shifted to a school premise, where, at every session, I would be greeted with smiles and squeals! A chance meeting with Shobha Vishwanath of Karadi Tales led me to perform one of her books at Odyssey and since then, there has been no looking back.
Over the last six years, I have had the opportunity to perform in over 25 cities in India and also in Singapore. Golpo Tales also conducts workshops for parents, teachers, corporates and other educational institutions; every workshop is customised based on the brief that is received.
It is only because of these sessions that I turned an author. A child once asked me to narrate a story about an Ostrich. I wasn’t aware of any story, and started doing some research but didn’t find a story that lent itself to my style of narration. I started to write my own story and in 2018, “The Jungle Storytelling Festival”, a story about a stammering Ostrich was published.
Do share with us some of your favourite story books/writers.
Some of my favourites include Ruskin Bond’s collections (The Angry River), Childcraft books (Mother Can I Have Another?), Roald Dahl’s The Big Friendly Giant and Matilda, innumerable Amar Chitra Kathas, Chitra Banerjee Devakurni’s The Forest Of Enchantments, Volga’s The Liberation Of Sita, Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies.
“The beauty of oral storytelling lies in its prowess to lure children and adults into its fold, and make them a part of its magic.”
The history of storytelling goes back to thousands of years. It would be interesting to understand how Golpo is keeping this culture alive in India, a country that has a rich treasure trove of storytelling.
We love stories of any kind, be it on-screen, off-screen, onstage, offstage and we connect with them, making our own memories with it. All our art forms are in some way sharing a story, aren’t they? But the best stories are the ones that have travelled from generation to generation and how we, as families, enjoy sharing them again and again. It is this important part of the oral tradition that Golpo Tales wants to keep alive, by making children and adults re-live the excitement of being in a story.
You have been telling stories to participants of all age groups from tiny tots to septuagenarians. Who is/was the most memorable storyteller of your life?… someone who inspired the idea of Golpo the most.
My father was the most amazing storyteller I have ever come across. He was exceptionally talented, and could present any anecdote or event like a story – complete with a beginning, middle and an end! He would also present them with action, emotion, drama and lots of humour. Growing up with him made me realise the impact storytelling had across all age groups. My mother would patiently listen to all the stories that were narrated and gently taught me how important it is to be a good listener. Both of them would have been the happiest to see Golpo Tales flourish and spread the magic of stories across age groups. But I have my Athai, my mother-in-law, who, at 91, is an ardent listener and my biggest cheerleader. I make it a point to perform all my stories for her, and her reactions to each one of them is absolutely priceless!
We are living in an age and time when the digital world of Apps, social media and smart phones affect the attention span of children and adults alike. What challenges does this scenario throw up for a storyteller?
The beauty of oral storytelling lies in its prowess to lure children and adults into its fold, and make them a part of its magic. It makes the storyteller try new tricks to keep their audience glued. It also pushes the storyteller to constantly reinvent themselves to keep engaging and connecting with the audience, thus making it a journey of continuous learning and evolution.
Any suggestions on how parents can inculcate storytelling as a way of life for themselves and children?
The more the parents share stories with their children, the more the children will be enthused to share theirs! When parents start reading aloud and reading along with their children, not only does it become a habit , but also a great bonding time with each other. If you notice, children always have their versions of the stories they have read or listened to and as parents, all one needs to do is to encourage them and be a part of their audience.
Sometimes, as adults we forget to have fun, and stories are the best way to jump back into that world which is non-judgemental, safe and full of surprises.
Dedicate time and resources to stories – via telling, reading and even projects. I do know of some schools which have a dedicated time every week for storytelling and many lessons from across subjects are taught through storytelling. Lit fests can be arranged by the school where their children can have access to sessions by authors, illustrators and storytellers. A well-stocked library with classics and contemporary tales will always be an added advantage.
“The more the parents share stories with their children, the more the children will be enthused to share theirs!”
The current Covid crisis has temporarily stalled the physical storytelling sessions. What are the challenges of going online?
The main challenge is that you don’t have the same interaction as in a face-to-face session. That aside, you can still have a great time telling your stories. I was very apprehensive at the beginning, but just before the first lockdown, I went live on Instagram in collaboration with LilTrails – and it was overwhelming! I was amazed at the response from children, parents, and even young adults who’d joined for a break. It taught me the importance of adaptability, and since then, I have been sharing stories happily virtually.
I continue to have sessions for schools, other outfits, children with special needs, and have also been performing story sessions for adults, which have been very well-received.
Looking ahead, when all of us emerge from the crisis, share with us some of your plans for Golpo.
I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and my experience as a faculty member at the Chennai Business School, where I run a course “Lead Yourself Through Storytelling” has been very satisfying. I recently launched the Golpo Tales’ Digital school on Questo as well. Over the next few months, I have some interesting collaborations lined up that I am looking forward to.
What a wonderful way to bring back the lost charm of storytelling. Listening to grandma’s stories was an integral part of our childhood. They not only engaged, entertained but also broadened one’s perspective towards life. Thanks to people like Janaki Sabesh, there is hope to rekindle the beauty of storytelling. An insightful post indeed, Asra. Thank you for the interesting read.
Well said Priyanka! Storytelling is indeed a treasure that we cannot afford to lose. I’m very glad you found the feature interesting.