Strange Gifts

Performer Name: Deborah Winter, Storyteller

Storyteller Deb Winter has won the hearts of audiences across Wales & beyond with her powerful and heartfelt shows: a diverse range, from her powerful tale of addiction in ‘The Red Shoes’ and her passionate ‘green’ stories through to her quirky, humorous ‘Refried Fairy Tales’ (Grimm’s classic stories re-imagined for the modern princess). She tells beautifully-crafted, compelling stories, often working with intuitive, improvising musicians. (Films at: http://www.deborahwinter.co.uk/storytelling.html ). In 2021 Deb won the Gwobr Esyllt Harker Award for Women Storytellers in Wales, jointly with musician/storyteller Ailsa Mair Hughes. With the prize came a commission for a new Storytelling show, performed at Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival in 2023 to a standing ovation. Deb has been described as having ‘a winning mixture of warmth, high energy, irrepressible humour'. Despite leaning towards laughter, she’s not afraid to sound the depths of human nature and she tells the stories of our human frailties and tragedies with compassion and empathy. Deb was launched into professional storytelling by winning the 'Yarn-spinner' award at Bristol Story Slam in 2015 (large audience-vote event). Deb then took four new shows to the festival in 2016 -19 (reviews at http://www.deborahwinter.co.uk/storytelling.html) . Since then Deb has been busy performing locally & nationally (eg. Aberystwyth Storytelling Festival, Swansea Fringe, Cheltenham Science Festival, Fishguard Folk & Tenby Arts Festivals, Unearthed Festival, Llangwm Litfest, On Land's Edge Festival, Llangollen Fringe, End of the Road Festival, Swansea Fringe, Theatr Gwaun, Pembrokeshire Coast, Pembrokeshire Library service, Span Arts, Queens Hall Narberth).