First, a little about our May writers but read on for details of our July events.
How fantastic to have 6 new as well as 2 established writers at our May event. The theme was ‘Souterrain’. Mark Plummer‘s story had levels of hidden tensions. A poem by Anthony Hanbury-Williams told of secrets we hide even from ourselves. Edd Rose took us into other worlds. Johann Egar ‘s narrative poem was powerful, and her short poem ‘Longing’ captured brilliantly how desire grows when suppressed. Becki Goodrum could not be present but we heard her poem ‘My Fogou’. Steve Patterson was absent due to illness but his piece about Fogous and the passage of the dreaming mind was read for us by his friend Ian Stevens. Ian, a regular contributor to Telltales, also read one of his own stories; about a schoolboy daring to look for ghosts. Our eighth reader was published short story writer, Emma Timpany, with a haunting piece about a relationship unfulfilled.
Now we’re looking towards July so please get writing. Interpret the suggested themes as freely as you like or venture into uncharted waters (see below) with a subject of your own. Submit your work (must not take longer than 10 minutes to read aloud but can be of any genre) using this website, and say which events you’re able to be part of.
First event up is Telltales at Penzance LitFest. We’ll be upstairs at The Admiral Benbow, Penzance 7.30pm Thursday 6 July. We always have a great time at this atmospheric venue. The festival theme is ‘Uncharted Waters’ and that’s also our suggested theme. Don’t think only of salt-laden journeys but go wherever the tide of inspiration carries you.The deadline for submissions is midnight Sunday 2 July.Telltales readers will have free entry to all festival events (except workshops) on 6th July.
We’ll be using the same theme of ‘Uncharted Waters’ for Telltales at Dolly’s Bar, Falmouth 7.30pm Tuesday 25 July.
Then at the end of the month comes Telltales at the Port Eliot Festival. The festival runs from 27th -30th July. Watch this space for confirmation of when our event will take place. Our suggested theme here is ‘Detritus’, inspired by a festival exhibit about space junk. Think, perhaps, of lost buttons, keys and slips of paper, communities devastated by storm and flood, snakes shedding skins and items discarded – with regret or relief.The deadline for submissions here is midnight Thursday 13 July.Telltales readers will get a free ticket to the whole festival weekend!