The first love song in the world, as composed by a pig in the Garden of Eden. The Devil, alarmed when his hobby of writing romantic fiction begins to upstage his day job. Hearts kept in Tupperware boxes, small countries that vanish from the European mainland overnight, and a kidnapper who gets more than he bargained for when his victim associates him with George Clooney. It could only be Robert Shearman's 'Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical'. Six stories of the comic and the frightening and the downright weird, taken from his multi-award winning short story collection.

Love Among the Lobelias performed by Toby Hadoke

Luxembourg performed by Jane Goddard

Pang performed by Toby Hadoke

George Clooney's Moustache performed by India Fisher

Sweet Nothings performed by Jane Goddard

One Last Love Song performed by India Fisher

WINNER OF THE READERS' AWARD IN THE EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY SHORT STORY COMPETITION!