[Written as part of the Book-ish event in Abergavenny]
It is a little
known fact that Flash Fiction originated in Abergavenny in middle of the
sixteenth century. Queen Elizabeth was
on the throne and young men aspired to be scholars or poets.
In a quiet town
called Stratford upon Avon, the parents of a lazy young lad named Will
Shakespeare, despaired of him ever finding work. He had no interest in reading or writing and,
in fact, had never written a word in his life.
In desperation,
his parents sent him to Uncle Oliver who lived in a sleepy town called
Abergavenny. Uncle Oliver was a strict
disciplinarian and Will’s parents prayed that he would instil a work ethic into
their son.
Young Will
arrived tired and hungry but there was no time to eat.
Uncle Oliver
appeared with quill and parchment. He was fierce and determined. ‘First write, then eat. You will focus lad. Understand?
This is Abergavenny! Focus!’
Now Aunt Cath,
Oliver’s wife, ran a small business with two friends, Hannah and Emma. They gathered mushrooms and herbs and brewed
a thick soup in a cauldron to sell to travellers on the Brecon Road.
Will watched hungrily
as they stirred, cackling and chuckling.
His quill scratched on the parchment but, after only 250 words,
inspiration dried up. He would finish
the writing later.
Uncle Oliver
snatched the paper out of Will’s hand and began to read, ‘Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.’
Flash Fiction was
born.
