DiscoverThe Atlas Obscura PodcastThe Living Libraries of West Africa
The Living Libraries of West Africa

The Living Libraries of West Africa

Update: 2025-11-06
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Journalist Eliot Stein explores the tradition of the djeli – African storytellers who memorize and pass down oral histories – tracing it all the way back to the Mali Empire. Along the way, he tracked down a modern djeli, who is upholding and remixing the tradition. And he found him in an unexpected place: working in a convenience store.  


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The Living Libraries of West Africa

The Living Libraries of West Africa

SiriusXM Podcasts & Atlas Obscura