A FILM star will be swapping the glitz and glamour of Hollywood for a short story festival in Sussex.

Natascha McElhone will be appearing in WordTheatre at Small Wonder, which returns to Charleston, Firle, near Lewes next month.

The Hollywood actress starred in The Truman Show with Jim Carrey, Ronin with Robert DeNiro and The Devil's Own with Brad Pitt as well as Solaris, where she kissed co-star George Clooney.

Born in Surrey, she moved to Brighton and was educated at St Mary's Hall School for Girls.

Among other films, the actress also appeared in Mrs Dalloway, an adaptation of the novel by Virginia Woolf, who was a frequent visitor to Charleston, her sister's house in Firle.

At Small Wonder, Ms McElhone is set to read the work of Stefan Zweig, the writer who inspired Wes Anderson’s film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Also appearing at the festival's finale are MyAnna Buring and Ian Hart.

Another film-themed Small Wonder event sees David Constantine read from his story In Another Country, which has been adapted into the film 45 Years starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtney, to be released in the UK later this year.

Elsewhere Second World War photographer Lee Miller’s experiences covering the liberation of Paris and concentration camps Buchenwald and Dachau for Vogue are brought to life by her son Antony Penrose, her granddaughter Ami Bouhassane and Imperial War Museum curator Hilary Roberts.

Folk singer Shirley Collins divulges the links between song and stories, and fairy tales are discussed by writers Marina Warner and Heather O’Neill.

This year's Small Wonder also includes what the organisers are calling some "exciting firsts" and a programme spanning the continents.

From New York comes the The Moth, dedicated to storytelling and bringing its famous StorySlam to the festival for an open-mic competition.

BBC Radio 4 also plays a prominent part, with Bookclub, hosted by James Naughtie, being recorded at the festival and Charleston hosting the tenth anniversary of the BBC National Short Story Award.

Jane Gardam, not only a short story writer but also a novelist, is this year’s recipient of the Charleston-Chichester Award for a Lifetime’s Excellence and reads some of her work.

Tickets, which went on sale last month, priced £14/£12 for the event from September 23 to 27, are available through the Brighton Dome ticket office on 01273 709709 or online from brightonticketshop.com. A shuttle bus service from Lewes Station to and from the Charleston site.

Other attractions include an all-day creative writing workshop, craft workshops, storytelling, poetry, walks, talks, refreshments and a gardeners' question time. These can be booked through Charleston on 01323 811626 or online at charleston.org.uk/whats-on.