Al Noor Island in Sharjah is gearing up to showcase its first ever International Storytelling Festival, to be held under the theme, ‘Tales on the Island’ in January, 2017.

Taking place from Thursday to Saturday on three weekends from January 12th to 28th, the festival will showcase renowned storytellers from the Middle East, UK, Europe and Southeast Asia, who will offer a plethora of dreamscapes and myths celebrating traditions and cultural diversity in Arabic and English.

Marwa Obaid Al Shamsi, Al Noor Island Manager, said, "Everyone, irrespective of their age, gender, social status or cultural backgrounds, enjoys listening to a memorable story. The tradition of community storytelling has, however, been somewhat forgotten in the modern-day world. The festival is Al Noor Island’s attempt to revive the storytelling cultural movement by engaging young and adult audiences across the UAE with skilled storytellers and artists from around the world."