Deborah's story has a twist to it - and one that threatens her dream of competing in the Olympics.

Warning: this ep ontains some strong language at a rather loud volume. Probably not ideal for the school run, which is why we've decided to put it out at half term... You're welcome.

If you have a story, please do get in touch. We're celebrating one year at the Brixton Ritzy next week (20th Feb) and we'd love you to join us. Details at sparklondon.com.

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We're back - and with some more fresh-faced true storytellers for you to enjoy.

When David was young, he was taken to a party hosted by Richard Branson.

That should be the story. It isn't.

From February 2012, where the theme was 'The Unexpected.'

Our theme music, incidentally*, is by Dan Weltman, a wonderful composer who you should really have a listen to. Find out more at his website: danielweltman.com.

* Intended joke. Apologies.

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Continuing our special season of favourite storytellers, Gigi Hanna returns to the pod with another story.

Curious as to how her parents met, Gigi investigates her Egyptian roots and discovers just how close she came to being an entirely different person...

From October 2010, when the theme was Saints and Sinners.

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Locked out of the house by his wife, Radcliffe falls into a world of drugs and crime that betrays his education, reaching rock bottom in this remarkable true story from our archives.

We recorded this story live in June 2010 during our residency at the Blue Elephant Theatre, who we send our humble thanks.

Hey - in other news, did you see we're one of the most listened-to podcasts on Mixcloud, for the second year running? Not bad eh?

Next show's on 6th Feb at the Canal Cafe Theatre. Come on down and see what we do live!

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Handpicked by the Spark London team, this is another of our favourite storytellers from over the years.

Jacqueline is in love with a guy and there's only one problem; he's a student and she's a member of the college staff.

From June 2010 and our week-long season at the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell. The theme of the night was 'Animal Magnetism'.

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Happy new year! David Dinnell goes scuba diving off the coast of Sicily, and gets into troubled waters.

This month we're bringing you new stories from our favourite storytellers, some of whom have appeared on the podcast before. If you've enjoyed this story, why not try 'David and the Cow' from back in 2009?

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Sophie told this story at our open-mic night in Brixton. It should be a night of passion for her and her new boyfriend - but will it be ruined by over-caring friends?

From November 2011, where the theme was 'Fireworks.'

Thanks to everyone who came and raised money for our special NOVA night last Monday. If you want to find out what happened - and maybe make a donation - you can do all this and more at novanew.org.uk.

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Sharon tells this story of her transition from child to adult... to adult lesbian. From November 2011, where the theme was 'Transitions.'

Next Monday (5th Dec) we're celebrating our fourth birthday at the Canal Cafe, with stories of 'New Beginnings'. Not bad eh?

As usual, we'll be raising cash for charity: this year we're supporting NOVA, a great team who train the long-term unemployed in North Kensington. You can find out more about them - and donate - at novanew.org.uk.

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What makes a good dentist? Emily ponders this question for us and provides some answers based on her own experiences, growing up in Canada.

Thanks to Dave Pickering for looking after the pod for the past few weeks - you can catch his excellent podcast at gettingbetteracquainted.com. Go on. Click it now.

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Helen stood up and told this story about how stealing Jamie Olivers picnic basket resulted in an almost brief encounter at the Spark Open Mic at The Ritzy Cinema in Brixton.

The story was told in October 2011, when the theme was 'Fatal Attraction'.

Be sure to book your tickets for the next Spark London at the Canal Cafe Theatre on 5th December. It's a very special version of Spark London. We're raising money for NOVA and the stories will come from people who have been touched by this charity. It's also our 2nd Birthday! 

Head to sparklondon.com/events for more...

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