Let's Talk Stories
Short Story Bookclub Online
Let's Talk Stories is back, with four sessions for Autumn 2025. ​
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Pour yourself a glass of wine or a mug of coffee and snuggle down on a virtual sofa for a good old chinwag about a story.
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In each session we take one short story, read it together and discuss it. It might be an old story, it might be brand new. You do not need to read the story beforehand, but it will be sent to you the day before if you want to access the text before the group starts. These sessions are particularly useful for those who are reading as writers.
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We’ve looked at stories by Shirley Jackson, Jennifer Nasubuga Makumbi, Katherine Mansfield, Douglas Stuart, Miranda July, Hari Kunzru, Ray Bradbury, Jo Lloyd, Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing, CJ Hauser, Saki, Kevin Barry, Ernest Hemingway, Guy de Maupassant, Zadie Smith, Haruki Murakami, Etgar Keret, Laurie Moore, Helen Oyeyemi and Anton Chekhov amongst many others. All different, all gripping in their own ways.
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It’s a bookclub with very short books.
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The sessions are run by me, Clare Reddaway. If you are interested in my personal taste in short stories, have a read of my 'Desert Island Disks' short story list here.
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10th September
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Columbian master of magic realism.
8th October
Clarice Lispector. Considered one of Brazil’s best writers since her debut in 1943, she has recently gained acclaim in the English speaking world through new translations of her work.
5th November
Hassan Blasim. Winner of Independent Foreign Fiction prize 2014, Blassim's collection 'The Iraqi Christ' was chosen as one of the 10 best short story collections of the decade (2010-20).
3rd December
MR James. In the run-up to Christmas we'll have a chiller from this classic writer of British ghost stories. ​
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Cost is £6.00 per session.
Bookable on Eventbrite here, or get in touch to pay directly.
Thank you and happy reading!
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Clare Reddaway is an award-wining short story writer and playwright. She produces regular live literature events in Bath such as Story Fridays, Stories At The Farm and Festive Doorstep Stories. Clare has run popular writing workshops for many years. Her background as a script editor for BBC Drama and Granada TV and MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa has given her experience of working with a wide range of writers.