Multicultural Storytimes
Our Storytellers are back from their summer break, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone again!
First Storytime Sessions:
Amharic/Tigrinya: Thursday, 5 February
Hindi: Monday, 9 February
Arabic: Thursday, 12 February
Mandarin: Friday, 13 February
Important update: Our Arabic and Amharic/Tigrinya Storytime sessions will now take place on Thursdays, instead of Wednesdays.
We’re excited to see familiar faces and meet new families as we begin another wonderful season of stories.
The presence of people from diverse cultural backgrounds enriches Port Phillip. We are the proud home of people from over 164 different birthplaces. Our residents speak 126 different languages.
We believe creating culturally safe spaces and opportunities for language use help our diverse communities continue to connect with their heritage. This is why we host Multicultural Storytimes.
Our multicultural storytimes
We’re working with Space2b to bring you Multicultural Storytimes in four languages – Amharic/Tigrinya, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin.
Our Storytimes offer fun stories read by native language speakers, with sessions available in English alongside the multicultural languages.
It's the perfect place for children aged five and under to develop their language skills while exploring and connecting with their own and other cultures. Plus, families will have the chance to connect and access important Council support services.
Storytime schedule
(School Holidays: No Multicultural Storytime sessions during school holiday periods.)
Amharic/Tigrinya storytime at Emerald Hill Library
First and third Thursday of the month.
All sessions are from 12 to 1 pm.
- Thursday 5th of February
- Thursday 19th of February (celebrating Ramadan)
- Thursday 5th of March
- Thursday 19th of March
- Thursday 2nd of April
- Thursday 7th of May
- Thursday 21st of May
- Thursday 4th of June
- Thursday 18th of June
*Note: In months with 5 Thursdays (April), the 5th Thursday will be skipped.
Arabic storytime at Emerald Hill Library
Second and fourth Thursday of the month.
All sessions are from 12 to 1 pm.
- Thursday 12th of February
- Thursday 26th of February
- Thursday 12th of March
- Thursday 26th of March
- Thursday 23rd of April
- Thursday 14th of May
- Thursday 28th of May
- Thursday 11th of June
- Thursday 25th of June
Hindi storytime at St Kilda Library
Second and fourth Monday of the month.
All sessions are 11 am to 12 pm.
- Monday 9th of February
- Monday 23rd of February
- Monday 2nd of March (celebrating Holy Festival) *
- Monday 23rd of March
- Monday 27th of April
- Monday 11th of May
- Monday 25th of May
- Monday 22nd of June
*Note: 9th of March is Public Holiday, Hindi session will run on the 2nd of March instead.
Mandarin storytime at Port Melbourne Library
Second and fourth Friday of the month.
All sessions are 11 am to 12 pm.
- Friday 13th of February
- Friday 27th of February
- Friday 13th of March
- Friday 27th of March
- Friday 24th of April
- Friday 8th of May
- Friday 22nd of May
- Friday 12th of June (celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival)
- Friday 26th of June
*Note: In months with 5 Fridays (May), the 5th Friday will be skipped.
About the storytellers
To run specialty storytimes it takes special storytellers. We’ve partnered with Space2b to hire, train, mentor and support storytellers to provide culturally safe and inclusive storytime sessions.
Each storyteller will bring their own expertise and flair to their sessions.
Meet our storytellers
Nejat – Amharic/Tigrinya Storyteller
Originally from Eritrea, Nejat later moved to Australia and had two children. She used to take her children to storytimes when they were young to help them learn English and now she is excited to bring her language and culture to her very own storytimes.
The Multicultural Storytimes program has helped Nejat to feel a deeper sense of belonging, as she knows that her language and culture are recognised and valued in her community and she can’t wait to connect and share her culture with others.
Khadra – Arabic Storyteller
Originally from Somalia, Khadra arrived in Australia in 2006 on her own and has since built her family here. She has always called the City of Port Phillip home, making it her second home and a place close to her heart.
Khadra has a passion for cooking and being with children, which is why storytelling has become such a joy for her. It allows her to connect with children and share stories in her native language, Arabic. She also finds fulfillment in teaching children about different cultures, helping them appreciate the richness of diverse nationalities and traditions.
Khadra is deeply grateful to Space2b and the City of Port Phillip for giving her the opportunity to share her knowledge and make a meaningful impact in the community.
Rohini – Hindi Storyteller
Rohini is a passionate storyteller with over 12 years of experience, who recently moved to Melbourne from India. She brings a rich cultural heritage to her storytelling sessions, focusing on simplified Indian stories, mythological tales and using language elements like counting in Hindi. Rohini also uses movement and music and aims to make it easier for children to read and speak Hindi. Committed to community outreach, she looks forward to building lasting relationships with local families.
Snow – Mandarin Storyteller
Originally from China, Snow moved to Australia in 2019. She is an experienced artist and former junior high school art teacher, with over 25 years in the classroom. Snow loves to dabble in watercolour and often prepares her own original artworks to bring her storytimes to life. Passionate about early childhood art education, she joined the Space2b multicultural stories team to share her creativity and connect with the community. Snow is fluent in Mandarin and is also working on her English. Through storytelling and engaging with children, she finds great joy and motivation for her language learning.
Partners and funding
This program couldn’t be delivered without support from Space2b, Better Health Network and FKA Children’s Services and the funding provided by the Victorian Government.
Space2b have their own webpage for the Multicultural Storytimes program.
Library-run storytimes
Our libraries also offer in-language storytimes at four of their branches – Albert Park, Emerald Hill, Port Melbourne and St Kilda.
These include weekly sessions in English and monthly sessions in Portuguese, German and Spanish, which are also suitable for children aged five years and under.
For more information, visit their Community Language Storytimes | Port Phillip Library Service
Contact us
Our Family Services team is here to help.
Send us a message on My Port Phillip.
Phone: 03 9209 6777