Professional storyteller Matthew Dicks will partner with several others at a ‘Speak Up’ program at Kingswood Oxford in West Hartford on Friday, Jan. 16.

Matthew Dicks. Submitted photo

By Ronni Newton

Acclaimed West Hartford author, elementary school teacher, and professional storyteller Matthew Dicks will team up with his wife Elysha and several other professionals for a special storytelling event at Kingswood Oxford School on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Matthew Dicks and the other professional storytellers will speak on the theme of “Pride and Prejudice.” Kingswood Oxford librarian Nancy Solomon and KO Middle School English teacher Kyle Chapman, as well as KO sophomore and West Hartford resident Benjamin Coady, will join the professionals to share their stories about pride and prejudice. Elysha Dicks will serve as emcee for the evening.

According to Sheri Shea of Kingswood Oxford, “All stories are about six minutes long and are guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and think.”

Elysha Dicks. Submitted photo

The goal of the Dicks’ Speak Up program is to “bring the craft of live storytelling to the greater Hartford area while entertaining audiences with stories about the human condition.” Matt Dicks is now the 16-time winner of the “Moth StorySLAM” in New York City.

According to Speak Up’s Facebook page, the organization hosts storytelling events about the “human condition” on a regular basis throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Shea said that although the Speak Up program has been doing programs at Real Art Ways in Hartford on a regular basis, “This is their first partnership with a school and it marries well with our mission to create great communicators.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Jan. 16 “Speak Up. True Stories. Real People” event will benefit KO students who qualify for national and international speaking events. Tickets are $12 per person, $8 for KO families, faculty, and staff. To purchase tickets, click here.

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