Chirine has a very physical approach and explores the way words and movements combine to create moods, atmospheres and images. She can tell in English, French, or Egyptian Arabic, and has told internationally from Sana’a to Nairobi, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Rome, Napoli, Rotterdam, Paris and London at the Barbican.

Jolene is a local historical interpreter who conducts walking tours, gallery talks, school tours, and presentations on the history of the women of Vancouver. Recently Jolene launched her walking tour The Women of Stanley Park, 1850-1914, an adjunct to her Women of Vancouver: The Early Years tour. Jolene Cumming will do a walk within the VanDusen Botanical Garden with stories of the women of Vancouver that relate to what we are seeing. Bring an umbrella, just in case!

Comfort grew up in Nigeria, the daughter of a chief, and has learned and told folktales and songs ever since she learned to talk. She studied languages and drama and became a teacher at a time when it was very unpopular in Africa to send girls to school. She left her native land when authorities warned her against telling subversive stories to her students.

Nan is one of Canada' premier storytellers, and has been spinning tales for all ages for 22 years. Her first children's book, How Smudge Came, draws on her storytelling techniques and on her knowledge of story forms from around the world. She is also an artist who works in fabrics, paint and cookies.

Bonnie was born and raised in Biggar, Saskatchewan. Everyone in her farming/railroading family told stories, and she started in as a youngster just to get a word in edgewise. Her repertoire is a dog eared collection of anecdotes, folktales, original and literary stories woven together with music on banjo, kokorico, cabasa and other odd instruments.

Helen is a Vancouver-based storyteller. Since her beginnings in South Africa, where the Zulu people held her in a warm embrace of vivid stories, teaching-tales, and breathtaking harmony, she has been telling, listening to, singing and writing stories. She tells tales learned from her Zulu friends when she was a child.

Michael is a multicultural teller of African, African-American and international folk tales, historical tales, stories of science and of the spiritual, as well as stories of the brilliant and absolutely stupid things he has done in his life. His style is energetic and enthusiastic, and his stories inform, educate, inspire and amuse.

Bill is a Vancouver-based storyteller and spoken word artist who runs Hogger's Moon Cartage, rides Harleys and wins story slams (last year’s Story Slam Champ, it was his first year and he won the first four times he went!). He has worked as a trucker, miner, plumber, film animator and then went back to trucking. His cartoon strip, 84 Dan, ran in Canadian Biker Magazine for 20 years.

Jean Pierre is an internationally renowned actor, storyteller and dancer from Pointe Noire, Congo Brazzaville in Central Africa. Jean Pierre has also performed at more than 1,000 schools worldwide as storyteller and dancer. He can tease the giggles out of grownups and grandchildren alike!

James Nicholas is a Cree storyteller born and raised in the Precambrian Shield territory of Boreal Manitoba., the progeny of shamans, medicine men and woman, trappers and chiefs. He comes from a family of renowned orators and storytellers. James has travelled the length and bredth of North America searching for story and being story.

evenSteven is a writer, contortionist and practicing martial artist as well as a storyteller. He has stories for every grade level, which range from surreal to absurd to eastern mysticism to world literature to urban and rural myth and legend. An agent provocateur guaranteed to tickle your funnybone.

Some people shape clay, Joujou shapes words. She is inspired by her African filiations, her Caribbean relations, the thousand textures of Quebec where she has settled, and the four corners of the world she has crossed. Also a dancer and actor, Joujou mixes poetry, storytelling, social commitment, and sass.

Kira plays the cello and tells shamanistic and animal power tales, which are full of transformations - a mother turns into a wolf to rescue her daughter; a tiger turns into a man and teaches a boy how to be a good hunter. Kira has done extensive research with indigenous people in Siberia and the Russian Far East, and has performed widely in Canada, the US, and Russia.