Mike Burns

Mike Burns was born in Ireland, where he grew up in a family of storytellers. He has been telling stories for more than 35 years. His stories are based on the tales and legends of his native region, some handed down over hundreds of years in the pure oral tradition. He tells his tales in Gaelic, French and English. Mike Burns has often been invited to the Toronto Festival of Storytelling and the Labrador Creative Arts Festival. He was in charge of the English-language section of the Festival interculturel du conte de Montréal in its early days. Burns is frequently accompanied by musician Toby Kinsella, a founding member of the Celtic group Barde. They have produced a CD, The King of the Birds. Burns appears in the anthology of Canadian storytellers Ghostwise (published by Dan Yashinsky). His book/CD Raconte-moi que tu as vu l'Irlande will be published in spring 2003 by Planète Rebelle. Recently, he acted in the film Sables Emouvants-Moving Sands by Phillippe Baylaucq, which will be broadcast on CBC in 2003.