Autumn 12 - Cultural Quarterly

A Different Story
In this Olympic year, the Small Wonder festival will
carry the torch for the short story at Charleston.
Charleston will host its
alternative to the London
2012 Olympic & Paralympic
Games, its annual
celebration of the short story
the Small Wonder festival, on
September 27–30.
Diana Reich, artistic director
at Charleston, said: “Small
Wonder carries the torch for
the short story – neither the
sprint of the haiku nor the
marathon of the novel, but the
premier 800 metres of
literature. In the Olympic spirit
of international excellence and
good will, we welcome
champion writers from all over
the world to our eventful site.
Our stadium is a traditional
barn and Arabian tent, our
podium the lectern.
“This is a game changing
year for Small Wonder – an
international roll call of short
story writers, victorious,
award-winning authors, poetry,
music, art, drama and song
contributing to the ceremony,
spectator participation and
alternative events. For a must
see literary equivalent to the
Olympics, look no further.”
This year’s events will
include Being Human, where a
trio of actors will chart the
drama of our lives in narrative
poetry; Nelson, in which the
creators of an episodic graphic
art story illustrate their
collaborative work; Will
Gompertz, the BBC’s arts
editor, presenting his stand-up
show Modern Art In A
Nutshell; Jonathan Coe
14 Cultural Quarterly Autumn 2012
composing short stories to
musical accompaniment, and
the return of former
Everything But the Girl lyricist
Ben Watt’s song writing
workshop. Actress Hattie
Morahan, fresh from her
success in A Doll’s House, will
read Angela Carter’s The
Tiger’s Bride and Susannah
Clapp will discuss her
friendship with the iconic short
story writer, and Jackie Kay will
lead a creative writing
workshop on short stories and
the art of ending.
Budding short story writers
can also join Shoreditch House
supremo Damian Barr when he
hosts heats of the Small
Wonder Slam, in which
competitors will vie to be the
winner with a story entitled
The Final, and the Screen
Under The Stars film will be
Moonrise Kingdom, which can
be enjoyed with hot chocolate
and popcorn.
Small Wonder
Charleston
September 27–30
www.charleston.org.uk
(Above)
Small Wonder Slam competitors
will vie to be the winner with a
story entitled The Final.
(Left)
Small Wonder carries the torch
for the short story.