Rattles Tales is a collaboration of talented writers diverse enough to make your head spin and in this guise they come together to share a selection of short stories. Writers with amazing histories, with celebrated novels like Starlings by Brighton based Erinna Mettler, others newer to the game, but all fused magically together in an appreciation for the written word and sharing stories.
So packing my best listening ears I took myself along to the Caroline of Brunswick and did just that: sat and listened. And I don’t think I’m alone when I say that, as human beings, it’s not often enough that we do just that.
The Rattle Tales gang took me on a journey through insects, schools and life as a bear. Oh but not so simple! This clever literary bunch twisted and turned the narratives and provoked my thoughts; these stories were of love and life and revenge and death and fear and the consequence of actions. All engaging, all read with love, passion and humour by their creators.
So here comes the rattle, a clever play on words you think as that is their craft. But also quite literally: at the end of each story you spin your rattle (pretty wooden ones provided for you) to show appreciation and to alert the host that you wish to ask a question.
I don’t want to be the one who asks the stupid question or the one who has misunderstood the story after all I’m the person who gets nervous having to step forward when my number is up in Argos so I’m unlikely to join in. Of course I leave wishing I had, next time I will….. well I might!
The questions are added value, more entertainment and a chance to have insight into the tales’ origins. The writers carefully answering questions about their inspiration – has it come from people they know? Interestingly they make the writers look at their work from different angles, and with the freshness of new eyes, an added richness to the proceedings.
So I can safely say that I was hooked by all the stories. They took me on a journey through the whole spectrum of emotions, some good, some bad, some a little too personal for comfort, one making me hold my breath, and as a good stories should be they are still in my mind the following day.
However there is one that will remain for a very long time, Waking up a Bear by Ryan Millar, I know any short summary can’t do it justice so go and look him up and take the journey, if he’s not in print yet I am fairly certain he will be soon, very funny, very clever.
So as someone who loves a good story but doesn’t read half enough I am whole heartily recommending this as a great evening out. With the last few events a sell out I am happy to say I think I was there at the start of something big.
Research and Development 