I grew up immersed in the profound Irish tradition of sean nós singing. My summer nights were often spent in the snugs of familiar West Kerry pubs, surrounded by family and friends, each person taking turns to share a song in the stillness between conversation. The words abair amhrán were said repeatedly throughout the night to different people, creating an almost ritual-like effect. Although I didn’t grow up speaking the Irish language myself, I quickly gathered that those words were gentle instructions to sing a song (amhrán). But only recently did I learn their literal translation—abair amhrán translates directly to “say a song.”
At the core of the sean nós tradition is communication and narrative expression—songs are not simply performed, but spoken from the heart, as living stories passed from one voice to the next. The tradition so close to my heart also serves to demonstrate that storytelling is not limited to a single medium, a single type of storyteller, or a single kind of listener. Naturally, not every reader connects easily with “traditional” reading. But every reader deserves a book that speaks their language—whether literally, through language support, or figuratively, through representation. Their individuality doesn’t mean they’re not storytellers—or story-lovers. It just means we need to widen the doorway.
As Storyshares CEO Louise Baigelman says on her episode of the podcast In It: Raising Kids Who Learn Differently, “Any reading is good reading.” Whether it’s through graphic novels, read-alouds, audiobooks, or even a student writing a poem to perform for their peers—what matters most is connection. When we make room for diverse ways of telling and receiving stories, we build confidence. We foster identity. And we help readers who may have once felt left out of the literary world find their place within it.
My experience with sean nós taught me that storytelling is not about perfection, polish, or performance—it’s about presence. It’s about being heard. And above all, it’s about finding the courage to “say a song,” in whatever form that may take.
Check out the Storyshares eLibrary to find a story that speaks to you.