The Little History of Storytelling

Dawn Nelson

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781803996752
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Social History

Storytelling is a fundamental part of what it means to be human.

Since we were first able to communicate with each other, stories have formed a basis for our cultures, communities and collaborative ventures. Tales such as 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Blacksmith and The Devil' are thought to be over 5,000 years old.

From the oldest known cave paintings found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, to the modern debate about the role of artificial intelligence in our creative endeavours – within these pages lies a concise history of storytelling, written by an experienced storyteller with a passion for stories in all their forms.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Pre-History 10,000 BCE–4000 BCE
• Bronze Age 3000 BCE–1200 BCE
• Iron Age 1200 BCE–500 BCE
• Classical Era 500 BCE–500 CE
• Medieval Era 500 CE–1500 CE
• The Early Modern Period 1500 CE–1800 CE
• The Modern Era 1800 CE–2000 CE
• The Twenty-First Century and Beyond
• About the Author
• References