Folklore and Oral History

Interview and composition guide

Written by Mahya Hafezi
Translated by Mandana Karimi

2025-8-1

In today’s world, where cultural and social changes are accelerating, the preservation and documentation of oral narratives and folklore heritage has become increasingly important. In this context, the publication of the book The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide by Marjorie Hunt, marks a valuable step toward enhancing the knowledge and skills of enthusiasts, researchers, and students in the fields of ethnography, oral history, and cultural studies.

The Persian translation of this book came out in 2024, translated by Ali Manouchehri and Abdulkarim Veisi, and published by Negarestan Andisheh Publishing. It consists of 66 pages, was released in 200 copies and priced at 90,000 tomans.

The book outlines the various stages of conducting interviews in the fields of folklore and oral history. Its content is useful for researchers, teachers, students, artists, and even family members seeking to record family stories. One of the strengths of the book is its attention to the human and emotional dimensions of oral narratives.

In this work, interviewing is not viewed as mere conversation, but as a process of uncovering and reconstructing memories, transmitting skills, understanding family traditions, and documenting local history. The book is structured into sections such as “Tools,” “Before the Interview,” “During the Interview,” and “After the Interview,” offering step-by-step guidance to help readers conduct effective and well-documented interviews through careful preparation, human connection, and thoughtful questions.

Another part of the book presents a collection of suggested questions, including biographical questions, family folklore, local history, and social life. These questions help guide researchers in designing interviews and crafting purposeful conversations. A key point in this section is that the questions should stem from the researcher’s curiosity and genuine interest, while remaining open-ended and flexible enough to draw narratives from the interviewee’s memory.

One particularly practical section discusses how to present findings. The author suggests turning the collected information into formats such as a family cookbook, photo exhibit, illustrated journal, or ancestral book. These formats offer creative ways to preserve and pass on the cultural heritage of families and local communities.

At the end, the book includes a glossary of terms, sample interview forms, and additional resources, providing readers with tools to carry out their work in a scientific and professional manner. The body of the book also features relevant photographs with detailed captions, including image descriptions, photographer names, or source credits.

This book serves as a reminder that history lives on in the stories of grandparents, local festivals, special foods, and family proverbs — and that preserving it is both a cultural and human responsibility.