Gatherings to Story Share

Being Neighbourly talks to Niharika Aggarwal of Hong Kong Stories.

Author/ Being Neighbourly
23 September 2026

There are many reasons to tell stories from our lives”, says Niharika Aggarwal, President of Hong Kong Stories, a community of people who enjoy stories of life experiences. “Our stories help us make sense of things, give us a fresh perspective, give us agency, empathy and even inspiration. But the biggest value of our personal stories, I believe, is their ability to connect us.”

Hong Kong Stories hosts free workshops, open to everyone, where participants share a story from their life, and an experienced host helps participants structure their stories into a strong, engaging narrative. Workshop participants also have the opportunity to perform at a live show curated by Hong Kong Stories. The group hosts eight to 10 live shows every year at Backstage Comedy in Central, or, occasionally, at other venues like the Fringe Club.

“Our goal is to provide an approachable platform for everyone to experience the joy of sharing personal stories and become better storytellers, while at it. We have experienced it over and over: how sharing stories from our lives builds deep and genuine connections. We often hear someone tell a story and find ourselves thinking, ‘Ooh, that happened to me too, I know that feeling!’ We truly believe everyone has a story to tell, and everyone loves a story well told. We are here to bring those stories to life and connect through our stories,” shares Aggarwal.

An independent group that originated in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Stories is inspired by The Moth in the US, with a focus on true personal stories told in the first-person, live on stage. Unlike the Moth, though, Hong Kong Stories is not a competition (except for the annual Student Story Slam), and it’s not an open mic.

“Experienced hosts curate stories performed on the stage. The hosts offer their time and expertise to facilitate workshops and provide feedback to performers for polishing their stories and getting stage-ready,” says Aggarwal.

Hong Kong Stories was started by David Young and Tom Tidings in 2012 as a way to inspire people to connect and open up. They built the foundations of Hong Kong Stories and grew it into a thriving community, but David passed away in 2016, and Tom moved out of Hong Kong. Their successor, Rachel Smith, was at the helm from 2016 until she recently moved to Canada, when Aggarwal took up the post.

A fully volunteer-led organisation, Aggarwal credits the group’s continuation with the commitment of a core group taking ownership behind the scenes, sharing that they have a group of eight core members who invest their time and energy to keep Hong Kong Stories strong – Jenn, Gina, Lesley, Manasi, Prativa, Deshna, Rachel and herself. “We also have a group of around 50 storytellers from our past shows who share the love for storytelling, step into different roles when needed, and make this community a warm and welcoming space.”

Aggarwal says there have been countless stories that have impacted her and that almost every workshop and show, there’s one particular story that pulls at her heartstrings. “My favourites keep changing based on what’s going on in my own life and hence what’s connecting most strongly wth me. These days, I think a lot about my own family, so stories that unpack family drama and celebrate family bonds resonate the most with me.”

“A few shows ago, someone shared a story about holding a grudge against their disengaged, neglectful mother. The turning point in her story came when she heard an anecdote from her aunt about how her grandmother had bought an orange at a market, a luxury at that time, and refused to share it with either of her daughters. Learning about her mother’s upbringing cast her in a different light.”

What are your greatest motivations?

“One of my favourite quotes is by writer Patty Hunt, says Niharika Aggarwal, President of Hong Kong Stories continuing, ‘The shortest distance between two people is a story.’

I have gotten to know so many amazing people through their stories. I may not know what their day job is or where in Hong Kong they live, but I feel like l really know them and care for them.

That’s the sense of belonging and community I have found through Hong Kong Stories and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

Aggarwal says that anyone can sign up to their free workshops via the MeetUp app. “No preparation is required, just come and share a snippet from your life, a moment you’d like to shape into a story. The workshop host will ask questions, share insights, and give suggestions on how to turn that particular memory into an engaging story – it could be about a bad date, a bad haircut, a difficult decision, a bold move, or even a favourite person!”

“Stories are a great way to celebrate our lives and people in our lives”, particularly when lives are increasingly isolated and busy.

“Getting together for an evening with no agenda except for sharing the stories of our life’s big and small moments offers an opportunity to reconnect – with ourselves, with the people around us, and the place we live in.”

Hong Kong Stories holds at least 3-4 workshops and one final rehearsal in preparation for each show, at which eight storytellers take the stage and share a story from their life, inspired by a unifying theme, like Borders, Haunted, Crossroads, Silver Linings, Red Alerts. Every show is a rollercoaster of emotions; some stories are light and humorous, some deep and reflective.

“The audience at our shows is very warm. First-time performers feel at ease when they see how engaged the audience is. It is very rewarding to hear from our audience members how the stories connected with them and how they saw bits of themselves reflected in the performances. It’s doubly rewarding when audience members become inspired to tell one of their stories.”

While the group experienced a quiet period after Covid, Aggarwal says they are slowly building back up as people become more open to engaging with strangers again.

“It’s been great to see the buzz at our recent shows, where more and more new people are taking the stage. We are investing more time into our social media efforts as well, to spread the word and encourage more people to take the stage.”

While Hong Kong Stories shows are in English, speaking perfect English is not a prerequisite to join a workshop or perform at show, states Aggarwal. In fact, she says it’s a great opportunity for many of us in Hong Kong with English as a second language to express ourselves and get over the fear of public speaking. “We want to encourage everyone to give it a try.”

Hong Kong Stories
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