IT’S the UN’s Year of Indigenous Languages and people around the world are throwing celebratory language parties with Canberra being no exception.

A language party is billed as a fresh style of gathering that celebrates the sea of languages spoken in neighbourhoods, towns and cities where storytellers share tales in their mother tongue then translate them into the main language of the audience.

This Sunday at Glebe Park there’ll be storytellers from Ngunnawal country, Asia, Africa and Europe, who will also take part in a language panel, where questions can be asked of them.

In a fireside chat, local traditional custodian Wally Bell will give an intimate account of Canberra’s Ngunnawal culture.

There’ll also be stories told in Benin (Nigeria), Dari (Afghanistan), Kokborok (Bangladesh), Welsh and Xhosa (South Africa).

It’s a family picnic event. There will be bean bags, deck chairs, folding chairs and some picnic blankets, but best bring your own chair, cushion, food, and/or mat.

Language Party, Glebe Park, Civic, section E, (opposite large concrete stage) 5pm–8pm, Sunday, December 1. Bookings to languageparty.org/canberra