Will Self, Polly Stenham, Ruth Padel, Howard Jacobson, Esther Freud, 5x15 stories, The Tabernacle

A truly unrepeatable evening with a selection of the top writers of our time, each of whom would like to tell you a story.

Five towering names of today’s literary world, spanning theatre, novels, poetry and non-fiction, come together for one evening to elicit your wholehearted attention while they pour their hearts out to you in five 15-minute stories. You won’t easily find speakers of such calibre together in a setting as intimate as that provided by 5x15 stories.

Will Self, Umbrella author, journalist, and speaker of dizzying agility on any number of topics - from psychiatry to psychogeography - is undoubtably a phenomenal storyteller. Not comfortable with complacency of thought nor with fitting into a mould, Self’s biting intelligence can provide hilarity, disruptive controversy, and always a totally enthralling experience.

Polly Stenham, ‘Tusk Tusk’ writer, is the 28-year-old who has been a revered playwright since the age of 19 with her debut play ‘That Face’, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre. Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph said “This is one of the most astonishing debuts I have seen in more than 30 years of theatre reviewing.” She has recently been living up to her own hype with the absorbing and ascorbic 'Hotel', which ended its run at the National’s temporary Shed theatre with this month.

Ruth Padel is not only a well loved poet, but also a critic, nature writer, musician, conservationist, regular broadcaster on BBC radio and recently a novelist with her book Where the Serpent Lives . Out of her many talents, she will be speaking at this event on two of her passions - poetry and music.

Howard Jacobson, Booker Prize winner with his novel The Finkler Question in 2010 and is running again this year for J . We predict the writer will speak about his experiences in light of recent events in Gaza; this is an unmissable moment to hear a man best known for exploring issues surrounding British Jewry, whether it be through non-fiction or in his comic novels.

Esther Freud, Hideous Kinky author and great granddaughter of Sigmund, has been named one of the 20 ‘Best of Young British Novelists’ by Granta. Her latest novel, Mr Mac and Me (published this September), is rooted in the real life story of Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and paints a portrait of the home front community during the First World War.

As ever, the spontaneous, fast-paced fun of the 5x15 format promises an intense cultural hit; book fast, with such a dazzling cast of speakers, the evening is sure to sell out.