This year’s Greenwich Book Festival took place in the beautiful setting of the Old Royal Naval College and was accurately described as ‘intimate in scale, though grand in setting.’ Its diverse programme featured both famous and emerging writers from a wide range of mediums including memoirs, crime, thrillers, and poetry. It all culminated in the festival finale of a literary London pub quiz.

As a judge of flash fiction for the Hysteria Writing Competition, I’m always looking to access writing by different voices so it was very exciting to attend a reading and Q & A with the fantastic group of writers at the Short Story Prize Showcase. This event launched the 2017/18 Short Story Prize of Galley Beggar Press, an indie publishing house committed to nurturing unique and innovative writers.  Longlisted, shortlisted and winning authors from their 2016/17 award read from their eclectic mix of pieces. Winners Yelena Moskovich and Joanna Walsh were joined by T. Schroeder, Malachi McIntosh, Gordon Collins, Richard Smyth, Paul Jones and Henrietta Rose. What a lovely evening!