Mary Hamilton is an award-winning professional storyteller whose love of story began in childhood—famously delivering a tale so vivid in third grade that it fooled her classmates, worried her teacher, and earned her a trip to the confessional. That moment marked the start of a lifelong devotion to storytelling. Since 1983, Mary has performed across the United States at festivals, libraries, museums, schools, conferences, and theatres, enchanting audiences with her “just talking” style and expressive use of gesture. Her repertoire includes Kentucky folktales, world folk and fairy tales, myths, legends, true stories, and original fiction.

Mary’s storytelling has been recognized with numerous honors, including the prestigious Circle of Excellence and Distinguished National Service ORACLE Awards from the National Storytelling Network. Her recordings have received Storytelling World and Parents’ Choice Awards, and her book Kentucky Folktales: Revealing Stories, Truths, and Outright Lies won the Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award.

In addition to performing, Mary is a dedicated educator who has trained teachers, librarians, and storytellers. She served as a Kentucky Arts Council Teaching Artist for more than 30 years and continues to offer residencies, coaching, and workshops. Whether performing, teaching, or inspiring the next generation of tellers, Mary’s favorite audience remains—as in third grade—the one right in front of her.