Photo credit: TripAdvisor Storyteller in Residence at Fort Steele Heritage Town
When award winning writer and storyteller James Murray is not sitting out in his boat fishing with his faithful canine companion Duffy, he is on stage sharing his heartwarming stories with enthusiastic and appreciative audiences.
Murray has performed on stage everywhere from the McNee Centre in Vancouver to Music By The River in Enderby, the Revelstoke Mountain Arts Festival to the Stseptekwle Storytelling Festival, the Shuswap International Writers Festival to the Kalamalka Women’s Institute, Bohemian Cafe in Kelowna and the Annual Fair Exchange of Gifts Benefit Concert for the Food Bank. Murray also performs regularly at theatres, coffee houses, seniors homes, elementary and high schools and colleges.
From 2015 to 2016 Murray was the Storyteller In Residence at Fort Steele Heritage Town in Fort Steel, British Columbia.
He has shared the bill with the likes of violinist and accompyanist Aimee Balloun, Ted Crouch, Valdy, Garnett Rogers, Greg Sczebel, Bill Bourne, Jim Byrnes, Andrea Roberts, Siri Hermanski, Okanagan Symphony concert master Denis Letourneau, Susan Shaeffer, Blu and Kelly Hopkins and, of course The Red Mollies.
Over the years Murray has received much recognition for his writing and storytelling, as well as, numerous other awards including the highly coveted Jack Webster Award, two OWC Ron Miller Storytelling Awards, a number of Best Newspaper Column of the Year Awards from both Black Press and the Outdoor Writers of Canada. Most recently, Murray was honored with a Paul Harris Fellowship.
Murray’s heartwarming and poignant story A Fair Exchange of Gifts, about what he would give his old dog Duffy for Christmas, brought tears to many a listener’s eye when is first aired on CBC Radio. Since then it has become a perennial favorite on radio stations at Christmas time.
Whether lighthearted and humorous or insightful, Murray’s stories strike an emotional chord with readers and listeners alike.