FAIRHOPE, Ala. - “Let me tell you a story” are Wanda Johnson’s six favorite words from her childhood. They announced the start of stories told by family, neighbors and friends and made her “heart beat with joy” when she heard them.

A well-known spinner of tales on the professional storyteller circuit, Johnson has captivated audiences for years with stories of growing up in Alabama and the South.

On Jan. 8, she will be a featured storyteller at the Gulf Coast Storytelling Festival in Fairhope.

“Today, when I say my six favorite words, I can see in the eyes of some of my listeners, that they know what I discovered as a child,” she said. “They are magical words. Words that can take you on a journey, help you solve a mystery, teach you valuable lessons, and lead you to feel all kinds of human emotion.”

Sponsored by the Daphne-based StoryCollector.org project and Gulf Coast Trikke, the Jan. 8 storytelling festival will feature Johnson, Jo Graven, and other accomplished storytellers in a public storytelling concert.

The evening will feature these storytellers each taking the stage in turn to tell stories about their lives in a variety of compelling styles and manner.

StoryCollector.org is a project of Gulf Coast Storytelling, a nonprofit organization based in Fairhope, which promotes storytelling and “story-listening” in all its forms and fashions.

“My journey as a professional storyteller has been serendipitous, a gift of unexpected and valuable discovery,” Johnson said. “I have discovered that when we come together to listen to stories we honor and celebrate our humanity.”

The Saturday, Jan. 8, festival will occur at 7 p.m. at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Fairhope. For more information, call 626-9997 or visit www.gulfcoaststorytelling.com or www.StoryCollector.org.

The storytelling concert is free and open to the public as well as the St. Lawrence Parish.