The Rain Singer and Vatraheli

Bilingual storytelling in Greek and Arabic

Storytelling is one of the most ancient ways in which people share stories, values and memories. Through stories, different languages and cultures can come together, engage in dialogue, and discover common ground.

At Kafeneio tou Gianni, We Need Books and Nawzat Hadid, a Palestinian translator, storyteller, and member of the Arab Women’s collective Santa, present a bilingual storytelling session, in Arabic and Greek, featuring the fairy tales “The Rain Singer,” by Palestinian poet Zakaria Mohammed and “Vatraheli,” by Katerina Efstathiou-Selacha and George Tyrikos-Ergas.

“The Rain Singer” draws on traditions and folk customs associated with rain and nature, while “Vatraheli” tenderly explores coexistence, cooperation, and caring for one another. These two stories highlight the importance of the mother tongue, of oral storytelling and cultural traditions as elements that connect us to the people and communities around us.

This session invites children and adults to share a listening experience where languages, stories, and traditions come together through the power of storytelling.