Diane Williams
AUTHOR - SPEAKER - WORKSHOP PRESENTER

• Author: Annie Mae Jumps the Broom
• Co-Author/Editor: The Storytelling Classroom - Applications Across the Curriculum
• Audiocassettes
• Original Stories, Folktales, and Literary Adaptations
• Mississippi Humanities Council Speakers Bureau, Cultural/Heritage Presenter
• Workshop Presenter (Library Associations, Professional Development for Teachers, Volunteer    Groups, Arts Organizations)
 

BIODiane Williams is a storyweaver, keeper of treasured tales, collector of phrases, and a griot who has been performing professionally as a storyteller for 14 years. As a griot, she shares stories from books, history, myths, legends, and folktales. Many of her stories are original. She has traveled around the United States and as far away as Hawaii, Germany and Africa telling stories. Other interests have taken her to places such as Switzerland, France, Belgium, England and Canada.
 
Twice nominated for the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts; Diane is the recipient of the National Storytelling Network’s - Oracle Award for Regional Leadership and Service, the National Storytelling Contest (2nd runner up) and a recipient of both a scholarship and research grant from the National Storytelling Network. She is past board chair for the National 0Storytelling Network having served the organization from 2002-2005.
 
Diane has appeared on numerous television stations in Jackson, Columbus, and Greenwood, Mississippi.  Her stories have been heard on radio stations in numerous communities and she is a co-host on the Mississippi Arts Hour’s WLEZ-FM radio in Jackson, Mississippi.
 
Diane has performed for hundreds of organizations and groups (including schools, libraries, associations, symphony, museums, community groups, festivals and events around the country and throughout Germany (having toured for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools for four years).  Featured appearances and repeat performances include the National Association of Black Storytellers; Bok Tower Gardens (Lake Wales, Florida); The Lake Charles (Louisiana) Festival; MS Blueberry Storytelling Festival; Strawberry Storytelling Festival (Southeastern Louisiana University); Montgomery City-Fest; Dumplin’ Days Festival (Decatur, GA); Mountain Echos Festival (UNC-Asheville, NC); African American Heritage Blues Festival (Pensacola, FL); JubileeJam (Jackson, MS); Blue Bluff Festival (Aberdeen, MS); Double Decker Festival (Oxford, MS); Kentuck Festival (Northport, Alabama); Juke Joint Festival (Clarksdale, MS); and “way-too-manyâ€? other places to mention here!
 
Diane is the author of an intermediate children’s book, Annie Mae Jumps the Broom and two audiocassettes. She is a co-editor for a teacher and storyteller resource called The Storytelling Classroom – Applications Across the Curriculum. Her poetry can be found in Seasons to Come and her biography appears in a book entitled Storytellers – A Biographical Sketch of 120 Storyteller from Around the World.
 
Diane is available for storytelling performances, writing and storytelling workshops, professional development training for teachers, volunteers, library associations. She also presents a number of tailored presentations based on the lives such memorable people as Cathay Williams, Female Buffalo Soldier, Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday and others. 

Diane Williams is a storyweaver, keeper of treasured tales, collector of phrases, and a griot. As a griot, she shares stories from books, history, myths, legends, and folktales. Many of her stories are original.  She has traveled to Africa, Germany, Hawaii, and throughout the United States to tell stories, and she has visited such far away places as Switzerland, Belgium, France, England, and Canada.

• In 1999, Diane was a finalist in the National Storytelling Awards Contest. In 2002, she received a storytelling research grant from the National Storytelling Network. That same year, she received the National Storytelling Network's Oracle Award for Regional Leadership and Service.
 
• Diane founded the Mississippi Storyweavers Guild in 1994. She is a member of the National Association of Black Storytellers, the Network of Biblical Storytellers, and the Poplarville Storytelling Guild. She was board chair for the National Storytelling Network in 2005.

• Diane's poetry has been published in a poetry book entitled Seasons to come.  Her name and biography appears in a book entitled, Storytellers -- A Biographical Sketch of 120 English Speaking Tellers from around the World.  Her story, The Gift, was published in "Today in Mississippi.”  Her book, Annie Mae Jumps the Broom, can be ordered from this website.  She has two audiocassettes:  Mississippi Storytelling - A Heap of Comfort, and Rabbits, Raccoons, Frogs and More.  Her newest release is The Storytelling Classroom – Applications Across the Curriculum with co-authors Sherry Norfolk and Jane Stenson and many wonderful contributors.
 
• Diane has appeared on Conversations with Gene Edwards on ETV, Channel 29. She has been a featured teller for the National Association of Black Storytellers; Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida; the Lake Charles, Louisiana Storytelling Festival; Strawberry Storytelling Festival at Southeastern Louisiana University; Montgomery CityFest, AL; Mountain Echoes Festival UNC-Asheville, NC; African American Heritage Festival, Pensacola, FL; JubileeJam, Jackson, MS; the Blue Bluff Festival, Aberdeen, MS; Dumpling Days Festival in Decatur, AL, Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale. She was featured at the Young Author's Day in Worms, Germany. Diane has performed at over 20 schools throughout Germany for DODDS (Department of Defense Dependent Schools).  She has performed storytelling with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, and in schools, libraries, festivals, churches, organizations, museums, radio, TV, throughout the U.S.

• Diane is currently the Arts Industry director for the Mississippi Arts Commission.