Megan Hicks
storytelling empress : : origami swami

stories:(un)folding P. O. Box 7994
Fredericksburg, Virginia 22404
(540)371-6775
megan@meganhicks.com
www.meganhicks.com

Megan’s got a way with words. Add a sense of humor and a deep respect for everybody
who is now or ever was a kid, and you’ve got an award-winning storytelling artist with an
international reputation for excellent programs that teach while they entertain listeners of
all ages and all walks of life.

With Dream On Productions of Buenos Aires, Megan has toured three times in 5 Latin
American countries, performing (in English) for native Spanish speaking schools ranging
from pre-kindergarten through the upper levels of secondary school.

In the U.S. she is known coast to coast as a spell binding storyteller and an avid origami
enthusiast. A veteran teacher at the Jacob’s Ladder summer enrichment program for gifted
children at risk, she is extending her love of story and origami to the District of Columbia,
where she has conducted residencies in D. C. public schools through the Kennedy Center’s
Community Partnership program.

Adult performance venues include Hanover Tavern, Wytheville Museum of History, New River
Community College, House About Tonight Productions, Washington Storytellers Theatre,
ElderStudy of the University of Mary Washington, retirement communities, and professional
associations (Virginia Library Association, Virginia Library Association Paraprofessional
Conference, Alabama Instructional Media Association, Northlands Storytelling Network,
Virginia Educational Media Association).

Thirteen years as a children’s librarian taught Megan the flexibility necessary to tailor programs
to specific patron needs and to accommodate the unexpected. True to her library background,
she is ever mindful that storytelling is all about literacy – reading, listening, and personal
expression through the written and spoken word.

For workshops and residencies, Megan takes a hands-on approach, using the power of Story
as her most effective teaching tool for children and adults alike. Whether the workshop focuses
on performing, writing, or paperfolding, participants amaze themselves and each other with the
excellence of their creative efforts. Self-avowed “klutzes” master origami folds, and the very
people who come to her writing workshops saying, “I have no stories; I’ve lived a boring life”
delight themselves with the personal stories she’s able to elicit. Here's a YouTube clip
demonstrating how I teach / tell with storyfolds.

Megan won the title National Storyteller of the Year in 2000. In 2002, she released her first
audiobook, “Groundhogs Meet Grimm,” which received a Parents’ Guide to Children’s Media
Award and a Storytelling World Honor award. Her second audiobook, “What Was Civil About
that War…” was a finalist for the 2005 Audie Award for best original work and also received a
Parents’ Choice Silver medal.

Megan’s affiliations include Bluemont Artists-in-Education program, CAPs of Fairfax County,
the Kennedy Center’s Community Partnership program, Dream On Theatre (Buenos Aires),
and the Virginia Commission for the Arts. She is past President of VASA (Virginia Storytelling
Alliance), of which she is also a founding member. She also makes trash art and origami
wearables at LibertyTown Arts Workshop in Fredericksburg.

Find more information on my website.