Every year, Chester Literature Festival welcomes lecturers from the University of Chester who share their expertise in a series of popular free talks. This November, there is the usual eclectic mix, with subjects ranging from silk to the writing of Gandhi as well as a leading French writer (speaking in English).

<b>Peter Blair ‘Flash Fiction Now (and Then …)’</b>

Flash fiction, or the short-short story, is more popular now than ever. Its brevity (typically under 500 words) makes it particularly suited to writing workshops, public performance, and on-screen reading, as well as to print magazines, anthologies, and collections. But brevity can have other advantages too: less is often more. As writer Ku Ling put it: ‘A good short-short is short but not small, light but not slight.’ This illustrated talk will introduce the meteoric rise of the contemporary flash, its many varieties, and the myriad names by which it is known. It will consider definitions of flash fiction, including identification by word count and formal characteristics. And it will explore humorous examples to illuminate how little stories can resonate long after their last words.

Tickets are free, but places are limited so please book.