From Oral Memory to Text: A Workshop Revives Grandmothers' Tales in (Beni Obaid)
Amman2 min read
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As part of the celebrations for the selection of Beni Obaid District as «Jordanian Cultural District of the Year 2026», Al-Khansa Basic School in the Sireeh area hosted a specialized workshop on creative writing and documenting folk tales in oral tradition titled «Grandmothers' Tales» to introduce students to the importance of folk tales as part of collective memory and a means of preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations. The workshop was supported by the Ministry of Culture, in partnership with the «Irbid Reads» initiative, in cooperation with the Directorate of Education for Beni Obaid District, the Irbid Youth Directorate, the Irbid Culture Directorate, and with active participation from students of the school.
The workshop was presented by the poet and writer Jalal Al-Din Salem, who discussed the concept of oral heritage and folk tales and their significance in collective memory, explaining the importance of transitioning tales from oral transmission to documentation to help preserve them from extinction and to allow new generations to learn about aspects of local folk memory.
The workshop also covered the basics of creative writing and its tools, and the mechanisms for documenting folk tales while preserving their spirit and content before moving on to the practical aspect by presenting a model of a folk tale from oral tradition and comparing it to its form before and after documentation.
The workshop saw significant interaction from students who participated in discussions and practical applications, in an experience that combined learning and practice and opened up a space for them to discover the inherited tales in their environment and rephrase them in writing styles that preserve their content and give them a new presence.
This event is part of the cultural movement taking place in Beni Obaid District in celebration of its selection as «Jordanian Cultural District of the Year 2026» and the initiatives that come with it to enhance the presence of culture in society and encourage young generations to take an interest in local heritage and document it as an integral part of national identity and memory.
