About me

Listen Up!

My name is Gemma Hannah and I have been working as a professional storyteller for the eight years. Before I fell into this role, I tended to imagine storytellers as men with beards and pan pipes telling tales at festivals. I now want to show how varied, accessible and fresh storytelling can be. I want to make contact with other storytellers, get teachers excited about the benefits of storytelling in schools, and help mentor and train a new generation of storytellers. I see myself as a storytelling advocate and would like to get storytelling into peoples homes and hearts.

I also want to write about being a self employed artist, and the joys and struggles of working for myself whilst raising three children. I look forward to sharing the stories of my journey and experiences in this blog.

Crick Crack!

Storytelling engages all people regardless of background through shared experience, language and imagination. The thrill of a live storytelling performance is to be transported to other worlds. It is to laugh, feel exhilarated or moved to tears. My stories are never read from books or scripts, and each performance is unique. Traditional oral stories are universal, these tales help us answer life’s great questions and understand the world around us.

Are you a storyteller? Would you like to be a storyteller? Would you like to watch live storytelling performances?

Let me know what resources you feel you need to access online, whether it be finding traditional tales, training and mentoring, books, a directory of storytellers, events listings or a forum.

All suggestions will help me to build a comprehensive online resource for storytelling.

Take it easy!

  • angelaKaranja

    Hi Gemma,my name is Angela and i am a story teller as well. I do shows at community halls.I am really interested in getting to schools how do you do it.

  • angelaKaranja

    Hi Gemma,my name is Angela and i am a story teller as well. I do shows at community halls.I am really interested in getting to schools how do you do it.

  • HighlandStoryteller1745

    Hi Gemma,that's the great thing about stories that you can give them away and yet still have them to give again just like what real love is.Love can be given to another and yet we can always have more to give.Stories like love can be filled with immortal goodness,the stories that Jesus told have that quality,to entrance,delight and inspire the listener,sometimes to make them see the error of their ways when they will not listen to ordinary counsel so as we can see King David was moved to repentance and inner change by a story told by Nathan the Priest,keep on keeping on Gemma.David

  • Robin Hodson

    Hi there. Your work looks really exciting and alive. I really hope I can get to see the Shakespeare stories in Stratford. I was an actor who didn't really want to act and am now a teacher of drama, which I love, but I now really miss the freedom of performing. I would love to look in to being a storyteller ( we are already anyway aren't we?) How can I se if I can develop my skills in this field? How can I get someone like you to mentor me on my journey?

    If you have time it would be nice to hear from you. In the meantime good luck and good wishes for all you are doing.

    Robin