Storyteller and Author Mitch Capel to Appear in Greensboro and Winston-Salem

Mitch Capel "Gran'daddy Junebug"

Mitch Capel “Gran’daddy Junebug” is a storyteller, recording artist, poet, actor and author. He was born in Southern Pines, North Carolina and has been delighting audiences nationally with his warmth, wit and compelling style since 1985. He refers to his style of storytelling as “sto’etry” (stories recited poetically) and has been described as a “word magician,” “national treasure,” “unexpectedly powerful” and a “transformer of lives." He has been featured at numerous festivals and has performed his character education programs in more than 2,000 schools. Additionally, Capel has received numerous awards from local, state and national organizations for his work as a storyteller.  He won the the Zora Neal Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers and co-founded the African American Storytellers’ Retreat in 1990 held annually in North Carolina. 

The University Libraries at UNC Greensboro, with the help of the Pam and David Sprinkle Children’s Book Author and Storyteller Fund, are pleased to sponsor his visit to North Carolina from September 7-11, 2017.  He will visit classrooms at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools on Thursday, September 7 and Friday, September 8, and will make a family storytelling appearance at the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors in Winston-Salem on Saturday, September 9. Additionally, Capel will appear at UNCG on Monday, September 11 to provide two storytelling sessions for 450 4th graders from Guilford County Schools, as well as a Q & A session for UNCG students studying to be elementary school teachers. 

Continuing his family tradition of preserving culture, his storytelling event at UNCG will teach personal responsibility, coping with peer pressure, being true to yourself and striving for excellence. This highly energetic program will utilize a tremendous amount of audience participation. 


Capel attended North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina and Howard University in Washington, D.C. studying speech and theatre.