Press release from the Asham Trust

Top writers head for Sussex countryside

Some of the world’s finest writers will be heading for Charleston in East Sussex this September to take part in the UK’s only literary festival dedicated to the short story.

Now in its second year, Small Wonder will once more take over the refurbished barns at Charleston, near Lewes  - former home to the writers, artists and philosophers who became known as the Bloomsbury group.

Just as their predecessors broke new ground nearly a century ago, so has Small Wonder with its unique programme of events which interpret the short story through film, music, drama and word.

This year’s festival has been extended to four days, and will run from September 15 to 18.  Likely to be one of the star attractions  is Grace Paley, now in her eighties, and making a rare visit to the UK from America.  She will be interviewed on Sunday by one of Britain’s most exciting young writers, Ali Smith.

The USA will also be represented by Henry Shukman, author of the specially commissioned short story which appears in this year’s festival brochure.  He will be speaking on Saturday, September 17 on the American short story.

Palestinian writer Samir El -Youssef and Greek born Panos Karnezis will discuss displacement, exile and writing in another language and William Boyd will discuss the relationship between the short story and film.

Brighton’s Lynne Truss, author of the best seller on punctuation -  Eats, Shoots and Leaves - will talk about monologues and the art of writing for radio, while top crime writer Ian Rankin makes the journey from Scotland to Charleston to discuss crime and the short story.

Add to all this writers of the calibre of Rose Tremain, Christopher Booker and Ireland’s John McGahern, and you have a feast indeed, all washed down with Harvey’s specially brewed Small Wonder ale.

New for this year’s festival is a two- day writers’ workshop led by Tobias Hill and Rachel Seiffert.  Participation includes free tickets for four events on the Thursday and Friday, culminating in last year’s big hit - the short story Slam, a competitive event giving new writers a chance to air their work in public.  To set the scene will be one of the hottest literary talents around - Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth.  Zadie will read from her new Pocket Penguin stories - Martha and Hanwell.

Budding writers have another chance of some one-to-one mentoring from an Open University creative writing tutor who is offering free 15-minute surgeries on the Saturday and Sunday.

The festival finale culminates on Sunday evening with two stories from Dickens read by the inimitable Simon Callow.

Small Wonder is organised jointly by the Charleston and Asham Trusts and is supported by Story - the organisation set up to champion the short story in English literature - and  by the Arts Council of England, Harveys and the Open University.

Full details of the four-day programme and special combined ticket offers are available on the Charleston website at www.charleston.org.uk/smallwonder.  Tickets are available from the Dome box office on 01273-709709.  To book a place on the two-day writers’ workshop, contact Charleston on 01323-811626.