STROUD Short Stories takes to a larger stage with a special event at the prestigious Cheltenham Literature Festival on Monday 10 October.

Described in the literature festival's brochure as "possibly the best short story event in the South West", the event is a one-off fifth birthday celebration for which organiser John Holland has chosen seven of his favourite stories from those performed at SSS events from its beginnings in 2011 to the most recent event in April 2016.

As usual the authors will read their own work.

John explained, ”I thought it would give some of my favourite local writers a real boost to read alongside internationally acclaimed authors like Ian McEwan, Jonathan Safran Foer and Tracy Chevalier, who are also appearing at the festival.”

“It wasn’t easy to choose seven from the hundred or more stories that have been read at our eleven events to date. The evening will have a nice balance of serious, nuanced writing and the downright silly.”

The seven authors chosen are Ali Bacon, Bill Jones, Rick Vick, Katherine Hunter, Mel Golding, Philip Douch and Andrew Stevenson. All the authors are from Gloucestershire, the majority from Stroud.

The event takes place at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Monday 10 October from 9pm to 10.15pm. Tickets are £8 and are available from the Cheltenham Literature Festival www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on/2016/stroud-short-stories-greatest-hits/ Stroud Short Stories returns to its regular home of the Stroud Valleys Artspace (SVA) in John Street, Stroud on Sunday 20 November.

All information about submitting stories for this event is on the Stroud Short Stories website http://stroudshortstories.blogspot.co.uk/