Friday 23 September

Readers' Digest
With John Crace and Tom Vowler

6pm • Tickets: £8 (£7 Students)*
Guardian feature writer John Crace, best known for his literary pastiche, Digested Reads, turns any novel, however long, into a short story. His most recent book, Brideshead Abbreviated, hilariously summarises the great - and not so great - classics of modern literature, from Mrs Dalloway to Trainspotting. His forthcoming book, Vertigo, dissects football fandom. Tom Vowler's debut collection of short stories, The Method, is provocative, bold, brutal and tender. A highly original and talented new writer on the block, he won the international Scott Prize for Short Fiction as well as the Edge Hill Readers' Prize.

*Combined ticket offer for both events on 23rd - £14/£12 (students)

Small Wonder Slam: The Key
Open mic: £100 Prize. With Damian Barr

8pm - 10pm • Tickets: £8 (£7 Students)*
Damian Barr is a writer, playwright and Shoreditch House literary salonierre. When not talking to other people about their books, he's trying to finish his own. He says: "the perfect flash fiction is like the perfect martini: simple, strong and with a lasting impression".
How the Slam Works: Write a 3-minute story to read aloud (300-350 words max), titled: The Key. Would-be competitors' names are picked from a hat. The time limit is absolute. The audience votes for the winner.
Hot Tips: Practice. Remember the story must relate to the title. End with a bang. Read Joe Dunthorne's (slightly longer) story on the back page of this brochure for inspiration.

*Combined ticket offer for both events on 23rd - £14/£12 (students)