'Disruption' event 8 November 2020 - The Ten Authors and Their Stories

I am delighted to announce the authors and titles of the stories for our re-arranged 20th event at the Cotswold Playhouse on Sunday 8 November 2020. The event is on the theme of Disruption (!) and is dedicated to the late Rick Vick. It will also be part of the Stroud Book Festival.

90 Gloucestershire/South Gloucestershire writers submitted 119 stories. We have shared with those authors our Long List of 44 stories and then our 16-strong Short List. 

These are the ten stories which my co-judge, Ali Bacon, and I have selected for this event (in alphabetical order by title). Click on the links for the authors' websites -

A Brief History of Lady Charlotte, Duchess of Beaumont - Emma Kernahan (Stroud)
Correcting an Error - Mark Rutterford (Filton, South Gloucs)
The Corvidae Diary - Stephen Connolly (Siddington, Cirencester)
ICMP - Simon Piney (Eastcombe, Stroud)
Jumping the Queue - Sharon Webster (Leckhampton, Cheltenham)
Peace Lily - Claire Harrison (Charlton Kings, Cheltenham)
Puffballs - Steve Wheeler (Sheepscombe)
Roadkill - Hannah Glickstein (Stroud)
Two Towns - Robin Booth (Brimscombe, Stroud)
White Christmas - Geoff Mead (Kingscote, Tetbury)

Huge congratulations to these authors for creating such brilliantly-crafted stories which will provide a wonderful evening for our audience on 8 November.

Seven of our Final Ten authors have read at SSS before, but, as always, we have SSS newcomers. I am delighted to welcome Hannah Glickstein, Claire Harrison and Sharon Webster, who will be the 112th, 113th and 114th authors to read at an SSS event!


TICKETS for Sunday 8 November will be on sale later in the year and I will add that information here on the SSS website when it's available. It's going to be a great evening.

Thank you EVERYONE for submitting your stories. And STAY SAFE.

John

19 APRIL EVENT 'DISRUPTION' POSTPONED TO 8 NOVEMBER

In the face of serious public health issues I have decided, jointly with the Cotswold Playhouse, to postpone the 20th Stroud Short Stories event 'Disruption' from 19 April to Sunday 8 November. The irony of the theme will not be lost on you.

I do this with a heavy heart. But given the age profile of many authors and audience members, as well as the Playhouse staff and volunteers, I consider it essential to make your/their health and well-being our priority.

The good news is that this is not a cancellation. No one is going to miss out. You will be able to hear/see the ten stories we select on the theme of DISRUPTION read/performed by their authors on Sunday 8 November at the Cotswold Playhouse. The event will still be dedicated to the late Rick Vick. Additionally, the event will also now be part of the fabulous 5th Stroud Book Festival.

In terms of the current selection process, Ali Bacon and I will continue our work. From 119 submissions, we chose a Long List of 44, and have now selected a really strong Short List of 16 outstanding stories. All authors who submitted have been informed of the titles on those lists.

This week we will choose the ten stories for the 8 November event. As time is no longer pressing, we're going to give ourselves an extra day, and therefore notify the submitting authors of the Final Ten by Thursday 19 March and then announce the ten publicly here on our website on Friday 20 March.

Thank you for your patience and support. 

Take care, everyone.

John

Thank you to everyone who submitted stories for our 19 April 2020 event 'Disruption' - The Selection Process is Underway

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who submitted stories for our 19 April event 'Disruption'. 90 writers submitted a total of 119 stories - our third highest total ever.

The ten stories to be read at our event at the Cotswold Playhouse will be announced here on Thursday 19 March.

As things stand, the event will be on Sunday 19 April at 7.30 (doors & bar 7.00) at the Cotswold Playhouse, Parliament Street, Stroud, GL1 5LW.

Tickets, priced at £8 go on sale on Friday 20 March, the day after we announce the names of the authors who will read their stories. Tickets are only available from the Cotswold Playhouse website or by phone on 0333 666 3366 (this is not a premium rate number).

The Playhouse has a sensible statement about Coronavirus on its website. If the event has to be postponed (it won't be cancelled altogether) I will post that information here immediately. Should this be after ticket sales commence, the Playhouse staff have confirmed that you will receive a full refund.

John