<strong>Lewes</strong>, 16 High Street, BN7 2LN 01273 479055
sMall woNder beth Miller talks to a pork-pie-hatless Alexei Sayle The short story had been in d<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ty decline for many years, but lately has made something of a comeback. Its revival is due in part to events such as Charlest<strong>on</strong>’s Small W<strong>on</strong>der Festival, a four day celebrati<strong>on</strong> of all things short story-ish. This year’s starry line-up includes A.S. Byatt, Salley Vickers, Joseph O’C<strong>on</strong>nor and Michele Roberts. Flicking through the programme I thought for <strong>on</strong>e heart-quickening moment that Colin Firth was also appearing, and he is, but <strong>on</strong>ly in celluloid form – a latenight showing of A Single Man. There are events for families too, including the intriguingsounding Ho<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>e of Fairytales, a storytelling/theatre thing which runs over a whole weekend. Last year I attended the legendary short story slam (my name wasn’t picked from the hat so I can’t report <strong>on</strong> a marvello<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> triumph), and to the lovely Stories under the Stars, which took place in a c<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>hi<strong>on</strong>-strewn Arabian tent. The slam is <strong>on</strong> again – take entries al<strong>on</strong>g <strong>on</strong> the night - and the tent will host a m<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>ic event this time. The speaker I am most keen to see is Alexei Sayle, himself w w w. V I VA l E w E s . C o M an accomplished short story writer. I spoke to Mr Sayle the other day and asked if he would have been a member of the Bloomsbury Set had he been around in the 1920s. ‘No! They would have hated me and I would have hated them’, he said. ‘We would cut each other dead at sal<strong>on</strong>s.’ On further reflecti<strong>on</strong> he made an excepti<strong>on</strong> for Lytt<strong>on</strong> Strachey, who looked as if he ‘liked a laugh.’ Alexei’s writing CV is impressive: tv scripts, five novels, two short story collecti<strong>on</strong>s pl<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> ‘almost enough for another collecti<strong>on</strong>’, and most recently a memoir entitled Stalin Ate My Homework. He enjoyed writing the memoir most, though it took a while to get the technique: ‘I threw a first draft away.’ I asked Alexei if he had any unfulfilled ambiti<strong>on</strong>s, other than the <strong>on</strong>e noted in his blog: to be <strong>on</strong> the ‘pretentio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>’ South Bank Show. He c<strong>on</strong>fessed that he would love to win a literary prize – ‘or be short-listed. Or even j<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>t l<strong>on</strong>g-listed.’ His proudest achievement was having made the transiti<strong>on</strong> from comedian to serio<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g> writer, and he felt an award would be a fine l I t E r At U r E ack<str<strong>on</strong>g>now</str<strong>on</strong>g>ledgement of that. The c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> returned to short stories, the best of which, he said, were like ‘little gems’. His favourite short story writers were Raym<strong>on</strong>d Carver, Saki and Graham Greene. And his favourite story was Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville, which he described ‘as like nothing you’ve ever read.’ The festival programme is also like nothing you’ve ever read, taking in as it does not j<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>t writing workshops, interviews and disc<str<strong>on</strong>g>us</str<strong>on</strong>g>si<strong>on</strong>s, but also plays, the actress Kerry Fox, ping p<strong>on</strong>g, c<strong>on</strong>versati<strong>on</strong> cards, tiny figurines and other little gems. Beth Miller Small W<strong>on</strong>der runs from 23rd- 26th September at Charlest<strong>on</strong>. Alexei is appearing <strong>on</strong> Sunday 26th September at 2pm. The full programme is at www.charlest<strong>on</strong>. org.uk/smallw<strong>on</strong>der. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Call</str<strong>on</strong>g> 01323 811626 for a printed copy. Details of how to book tickets can be found in the programme. 2 3
Change language