The virtual event, taking place in five languages -- Arabic, English, French, Italian and Spanish -- will run from November 28 to December 2, according to the social network's official blog (blog.twitter.com).

While everyone is free to take part under the #twitterfiction hashtag, the festival's selection panel, made up of US publishing industry experts, picked 29 entries from around the world to highlight on a dedicated page, at mobile.twitter.com/hashtag/twitterfiction.

The Twitter media team's head of research and development Andrew Fitzgerald stressed the festival was "not a competition."

"There will be no winner, we just want to showcase creative storytelling," he told AFP ahead of the event.

A young American women, Elliott Holt (@elliottholt), will open the ball on Wednesday at 2400 GMT, with a crime story that plays on the idea of a Twitter feed used as evidence.

Among the tales on offer -- which come from a mix of published and novice writers -- Lucy Coats (@lucycoats) from Northampton in Britain will re-tell 100 Greek myths in 100 Tweets.

London-based Faiq Muneef will be tweeting an Arabic language story called "The Crying Canary" from Sunday at 1300 GMT.

From Thursday to Sunday at 0900 GMT, @00serialTW will be unfurling a stream of tales inspired by the work of Italian writer Italo Calvino.

And Marc Capelle (@marccapelle), the head of the French journalism school ESJ, will tell the story of Marcel Lasoen (@MarcelLasoen), an elderly man using Twitter to reconnect with his family, from Thursday to Sunday at 1100 GMT.

Bookworms can tune in using the #twitterfiction hashtag, or consult the webpage set up for the festival, at twitter.com/hashtag/twitterfiction.