What is The Moth?

So, what’s the best kept secret at this festival? Well, we’d have to say it’s The Moth. Author George Dawes Green began this storytelling evening in his New York apartment in 1997, as a way to recreate the lazy summer evenings he’d spent in his youth in Georgia, telling stories amongst his friends. It was a roaring success, and interest grew to such a level that it started to take place in front of an audience, and then grew further so that it took place in progressively bigger venues, until it reached a point where tickets sold out within hours of appearing on their website, unadvertised. The apparently unstoppable event that is The Moth is now primed to make its international debut at the book festival on 22 August (a short time after David Sedaris finishes, in fact – a great double bill if you’re interested.) In the states, contributors included everyone from Frank McCourt to Julia Stiles, from Ethan Hawke to the wonderful George Plimpton. For the event here, we’re promised storytelling of the highest order, and special guests too. If you’re at all interested then we’d advise booking NOW, because tickets will go like wildfire. And we hope you enjoy yourselves too. [Keir Hind]