Congratulations to all the writers who read on Tuesday 25 March!  There was not a free seat in the house at Dolly’s Wine Bar and by the end of the evening our minds and emotions had been stretched in every possible direction.

In poetry we had Rob Barratt, Aaron Kent and Sarah Valmai Jones.  In poised and crystal clear tones, Sarah shared poetry of darkness and love.  Aaron was show-stopping, with poems that made you want to stand up and cry, ‘Yes!  Yes!  That’s how it is!’  Rob Barratt delivered lines that can only make you smile, “Our knowing eyes knowingly met” being a personal favourite.

Balanced somewhere between poetry and prose was Clare Howdle’s immersive and mesmerising piece for three voices, following Gretel into the forest.  Perhaps the cruellest story of the night was a tale of revenge written by Adrian Rodda.  Knives heated in flames and the cut of the cat-o-nine-tails provided flashbacks into Cornwall’s darkest maritime heritage.  More innocent was Mac Dunlop’s enigmatic tale about the art of advertising – nothing. Trina Beckett’s beautifully crafted story, which appeared at first to be a tale of petty rivalries deepened into something more terrible.

The evening ended with Rupert Wallis reading an extract from his forthcoming novel and the opening of a children’s story – powerful and brilliant work.  The aim of Telltales is to showcase, motivate and inspire.  When a writer shares work which is hot off the press, that’s an act of generosity and part of what makes Telltales such a unique experience.

It was a brighter and funnier evening than I had expected. I am still laughing at Rupert Wallis’s phrase “frolic like cucumbers”. It will just catch the minds of 8-10 year olds. Brilliant. Rob Barratt is always a joy and Clare’s exercise was full of poetic language that made one want to savour it and hear it again and again to get the full taste of the imagery… ”  [Adrian Rodda]