Drama Professionals & Organisations

All about Alim

Fondly described as ‘The Storytelling Jedi’ by many of his peers and clients, award-winning Alim Kamara is an accomplished British-Sierra Leonian storyteller, gifted wordsmith, and explosive lyricist; and the founder & CEO of internationally renowned storytelling and education organisation – Storie Storie (which you have to say with a West African drawl!). 

With his infectious laugh, undeniable charm, and fiendishly wicked sense of humour, Alim effortlessly leads the Storie Storie team in their mission to motivate, inspire and educate the very young to the more seasoned of audiences; and his sessions have been frequently described as transformative, full of joy and fortified with great life guidance.

In schools, the need to continuously spark a passion for learning, stimulate creative thinking and encourage self-belief in children and young people, is an ongoing challenge for many educators in the UK and across the world. When Alim steps onto the scene (or rather – into the classroom), his unique blend of storytelling – steeped in the rich traditions of West African Djelis (storytellers), cuts through and grabs the attention of every young mind present. He wastes no time delivering the most fun, impactful, and interactive workshops, engaging his young audiences in a series of specially crafted exercises and stories that are accessible, positive, and educational. The result? Children and young people with increased levels of self-belief, courage, creative expression, cultural understanding, self-awareness, and respect for others. Every. Single. Time. 

More about Alim

Alim expanded his storytelling legacy with the release of his debut children’s book, It’s Okay to Be Scared (The Donkey Story). Based on one of his most loved live performances, the book tells a warm and uplifting tale about courage, empathy, and overcoming fear. Through the story of Donkey, young readers learn that bravery isn’t the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of it. The book has been warmly received by schools and families, furthering Alim’s mission to inspire and empower children through storytelling in every form.

Over the past 20 years, Alim has taught workshops, run assemblies, delivered presentations, and performed at hundreds of schools across London, the UK and globally. Over 50,000 youngsters (and counting!) have witnessed and been impacted by Alim’s high-energy delivery, and creative and thought-provoking stories. Even Heads of State have remarked on his exceptional abilities. HRH Camilla joined Alim on stage at Moreland Primary School in North London in May 2024, and was thoroughly impressed with his “fantastic” storytelling and ability to engage the pupils and teachers. The President and First Lady of Sierra-Leone have also invited Alim to perform more than once – at their inauguration and other diplomatic events. 

Equally, in corporate spaces across global private, public and third sectors, Alim has used his unique blend of performance art to encourage and support leaders to step up their game, understand and celebrate diversity, and to cultivate more inclusive cultures within their organisations. His compelling stories, Black and African History presentations, and socially relevant commentary delivered with intention and a fearless clout, inspire even the most hard-nosed executives. Alim has been called upon by Channel 4, BBC, Vanguard, NHS, Ministry of Defence, Office of The Deputy Prime Minister, and MasterCard to name just a few.

It is this extraordinary ability that has earned Alim recognition as one of the most original and influential motivational speakers from the UK, and a juggernaut in the international storytelling arena. With notable performances at TEDx events, prominent music & literary festivals, and at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall; and multiple awards – including the ODPM Community Innovator Award, Peace Alliance Award and two BEFFTA Awards – under his belt, Alim’s journey has been steadfast, and he has left an undeniable trail of positive change in his wake.

Alim hails from Tottenham, North London and is of Sierra Leonean descent. As a young child, he joined his cousins and other local children around the fireplace on many an evening, listening in wonder to the exciting and sometimes cautionary tales of the traditional storytellers. Those stories and experiences took root within him and when his family moved to the UK, they never left him. But, as he got older, he felt the pressure often placed upon eldest sons, to pursue more business-oriented subjects at university. However, Alim very quickly realised he was on the fast-track to denying his calling. Having been inspired by those childhood stories in Africa, he knew the impact he could make by sharing not only those stories, but stories of the experiences and challenges he had overcome growing up as a young person onto adulthood, in the often-harsh North London environment. So, he took a deep breath and switched his major to Creative and Media Writing. And boy was that the right call! Under the mentorship of veteran poets and storytellers, Alim achieved a First-Class Degree with Honours, wrote the final year poem for the University, and received the Edna Fuller Prize to boot. 

The years that followed saw Alim set up youth-focussed after school and diversionary programmes for young people in Tottenham, Haringey, across London and Sierra Leone. These programmes offered its participants moral guidance, inspired learning, creativity, and a sense of adventure; and helped to diffuse conflict, break prejudices and to dismiss negative stereotypes. Keen to embody his passion and purpose to guide the next generation, Alim founded Storie Storie in 2008 and never looked back.

Alim’s track-record and the excellent results yielded by his projects and programmes, began to create a demand for something more far-reaching. News spread of this modern-day Djeli, whose powerful expression and ability to teach and transport audiences to new realms of understanding, garnered him much attention and invitations from across the globe. His storytelling and poetic prowess have captivated audiences in Dubai, Holland, Canada, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, USA, India, Peru, Amsterdam, Mexico, Kenya, and Argentina – and these are just the highlights.

When he is not working…well Alim is always working, constantly honing his craft, and delighting more audiences – but you can find him practicing the Mbira (a percussion instrument, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe), and whipping up some seriously melodic beats on his Djembe drum. Other than that, if you wake up early enough – say 4am, you might find him in the gym, and at various points of the day – in the kitchen eating Sierra Leonian rice and stew.

And yes, it was Alim you saw on Channel 4’s ‘Smuggled’ (2019). Alim participated in this televised social experiment to better understand the story and experience of those for whom this is reality – to identify, if only for a moment, with people who face these tough challenges, and pay homage to them by carrying this learning and realisation to others through his work.

Alim shows no signs of slowing down and has many creative irons in the fire. His mission to affect change, bring people together, celebrate differences and impart the importance of seeing and embracing the beauty and opportunities in life, continue to spark his own imagination! Alim has some exciting projects under construction that will do all of these things, whilst also preserving the oral traditions of West Africa and the platform to share this art form across the world – especially in the most unlikely of places. 

See you on the stage – Storie Storie.