Sherry Norfolk
Sherry Norfolk embodies the term "teaching artist" — that is, an artist who can not only talk the talk but walk the walk. As a performer at festivals, schools and libraries nationwide, she invites listeners of all ages to peer through the kaleidoscope of story into the world of the imagination.
Sherry and husband Bobby Norfolk are part of the August House family. She has performed the acclaimed audiobook Haunted Hearts and together she and Bobby wrote The Moral of The Story: Folktales for Character Development.
Sherry is an acclaimed performer, appearing in such places as the Atlanta Storytelling Festival; Cherokee Rose Storytelling Festival, Carrollton, GA; Corn Island Storytelling Festival, Louisville, KY; Freeport (Bahamas) Storytelling Festival; the Hawaii State Library System; Anchorage Municipal Library System; Live Oak Storytelling Festival, Charleston, SC; Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff; National Storytelling Festival, Jonesborough, TN (Exchange Place Teller); St. Louis (MO) Storytelling Festival — she's even been featured at the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry, North Ireland, and most recently at the Hong Kong International School (2003)!
Sherry is recognized by the Urban Libraries Council, the National Association of Counties, the American Library Association, and the Florida Library Association as an innovative and creative library programmer. She has been a professional storyteller since 1981, telling in libraries, schools, museums and festivals all over the United States.
Her library background led her to storytelling as an effective means of motivating children to read, and her elementary education background influenced her style — full of rhythm and motion, multiple voices and opportunities for audience participation.
As a teacher, she leads residencies and workshops internationally, introducing children and adults to story making and storytelling. She is on the roster of 7 state arts councils, a testimony to her value as a teaching artist.
Her dedication to and deep interest in children and literacy have been recognized with national awards from the American Library Association, the Association for Library Association for Children, the National Association of Counties, and the Florida Library Association.
Sherry has a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Masters in Library Science, and has been a professional storyteller since 1981. She tells folktales from around the world, using storytelling as a non-didactic way to teach universal values, elevate understanding and acceptance of other cultures, and promote environmental awareness. Sherry served as a consultant on Turner South's "Stories to Learn By" initiative. Her skills as a performer, teacher, and workshop leader are in demand all over the country.
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