Among these online events are TwitMashes hosted by South African writer Lauren Beaukes, and author Jennifer Wilson is inviting followers to help her generate stories from a series of photographs of graves.
Twitter seems to be gaining in popularity with writers; frequent literary tweeters include Ben Okri, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman (all worth a follow!) There's no denying that it's a great platform for writers: any promotional work for an audience of millions is a positive thing at a time when the financial climate is as tough as it it. But aside from promotion and contact with readers, is Twitter an appropriate medium for literature itself?
In the early 90s and turn of the millenium, the possibilities for harnessing the power of the internet for writing seemed endless. Hypertext author Shelley Jackson notablly spawned many of her projects via her website, integrating writing with visuals and hyperlink - her most famous work 'Patchwork Girl' is a great example of this hybrid form, and well worth a read.
My own problem with Twitter is that although it's great for collaboration and immediacy, it's also hugely limiting. From my own point of view, I feel that literature needs space for possibility; although I can appreciate that it also forces the kind of constraints that can make great literature. After all, some of the greatest short stories ever written are under two pages long; and of course the Haiku form is one of the most culturally pervasive of all poetical forms.
What is your take on this Twitter festival? Is it possible to create something great in 150 characters? For now, I'll reserve judgement. Tweet tweet.
(You can follow me on Twitter @JessicaEOliver. I promise not to tweet any bad poetry.)
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