SWINDON FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE: SWINDON storyteller Tom Harris and friends were at the Beehive, on Prospect Hill, for an evening of tales last night.

Tonight sees a visit to the Beehive at 8.30pm from Jasper Fforde, the author who sets his futuristic detective novels in a surreal version of Swindon.

And Beehive landlord Andy Marcer is expecting a big crowd.

He said: "Last year people travelled from Canada, Scotland and British Columbia to attend a short play and reading from Jasper.

"Anyone coming to that should get here early because there'll be a big crowd."

At last year's Fringe, the Beehive hosted a version of the "audience participation Richard III" which featured in Fforde's first novel, The Eyre Affair.

This year Fforde will return to the Beehive to take part in Hamlet At The Odium.

Tomorrow Attila the Stockbroker, performs at the Beehive at 3pm, supported by Geoff Berner.

At 8.30pm the pub is holding a literary fancy-dress end-of-fringe party.