TEHRAN – Storyteller Susan Maqsudlu, who is mostly known for her children’s performances, plans to release a series of podcasts presenting stories from classical Persian literature for the home quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.

“In a series of podcasts named ‘Susan Tales’, I will be recounting a number of Persian folktales every week. I have begun with ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, and will next go on to other stories such as ‘Adventures of Sinbad’, ‘Patient Stone’ and ‘Daughter of Narenj-o-Toranj’,” she said.

“I chose podcasts because it is in some way related to theater considering its storytelling aspect. However, I do not believe the virtual world can replace face-to-face interaction in the dramatic arts,” she said.

“I first began to prepare the stories for adults since not all the classical Persian tales are suitable for children. I also was aware that young mothers admit that they do not know folktales, and that is why I felt the need to recount the stories for adults so that they can later retell the stories to their children based on their own tastes and interests,” she added.

“Those who were children in the 1980s tell me that they like my voice and have good memories of the stories I used to tell them while they were kids, and that they wanted to hear the stories they had once heard with my voice again,” she said.

She added that she has plans to release a series of podcasts for children as well, because she does not want the stories to be limited to a specific age group.

She hoped that she would be able to prepare an educational package to give appropriate advice to parents by means of making use of the knowledge of a psychologist on the side.

Maqsudlu, who is also a writer and a stage actress, is the storyteller of audio stories “Lady Moth” and “The Moon and Panther”.

Photo: Storyteller Susan Maqsudlu gives a performance for children in an undated photo.

RM/MMS/YAW