where
short story collections step into the
spotlight
 theSHORTreview
 
 

home
about
find something to read by:
blog
links


David Gaffney


Website: DavidGaffney.co.uk

David Gaffney is a much revered Indie northern writer whose first collection, Sawn-Off Tales, received such acclaim as to secure its place in the wider literary world. Gaffney was born in West Cumbria, was educated in Birmingham and now lives in Manchester.


Short story collections

Aromabingo (Salt Publishing, 2007)

Reviewed by Melissa Lee


Sawn Off Tales (Salt Publishing, 2006)



Interview with David Gaffney

The Short Review: How long did it take you to write all the stories in your collection?

David Gaffney:I wrote a few of the very short ones over a period of 3 or 4 years, and the medium to longer ones were written between 2005 –2006. I work on several writing projects at the same time so its hard to say… the quickest I’ve done is a commission for radio three which was three weeks to do three stories of about 250- 300 words each, and that kept me busy for the three weeks. (though, I have got another job as well) I have to get the ideas down first which takes a few days, then I write a story much longer than it needs to be, so I can find out where it starts and where it ends and then decide at which point in the narrative I am going to pick it up and which point I am going to leave it….then I get out the axe and edit.


TSR: Did you have a collection in mind when you were writing them?

DG: No. I tend to write in clusters, though, so there will be groups of themes. For instance in the Aromabingo there are I think 5 stories on the theme of ‘the little things,’ which were commissioned by a magazine called Cent. I am interested in doing a set of interlocking short stories, which can be each be read on their own and together as a novel, and I have a sort of plan for this, but havent written it yet. I Like Dan Rhodes’ short shorts all the theme of love, and also the Jim Crace collection of very short stories all about food.


TSR: How did you choose which stories to include and in what order?

DG: Me and my editor Jen of Salt press went through everything I had, and selected from there. Jen at Salt is very good at working out the running order- I sometimes wonder whether with very short fiction people dip in and out randomly. It is possible to organise my short fiction much more – I have several stories set in offices, and several in shops, several about relationships, and these could have been put together, but….I’m not sure this structuring would add anything.


TSR: Do you have a "reader" in mind when you write stories?

DG: The reader I have in mind is kind of a general reader, but maybe young and with an eye for things that are a bit weird. I think he wears a hat and hums softly under his breath, which could be irritating. I think of the pleasure I get when I read Magnus Mills for example and aim for that….


TSR: Is there anything you'd like to ask someone who has read your
collection, anything at all?

DG:I’m fascinated by the things people get from my stories – its often a lot of stuff I never intended or never thought about. I guess this is because when you write very short you leave a lot of gaps that people fill in themselves. I’d like to ask which they like and which they don’t care for too much, and maybe why


TSR: How does it feel knowing that people are buying your book?

DG: I used to stand in Waterstones, where my books are current in the cult fiction section, and when I saw someone pick up one of my books, I would talk to them, and try and persuade them to buy it, maybe find out a little about the customer, about their life, and why they might want to buy some cookery book instead of my brilliant tome, but since the restraining order, I have less contact with potential buyers in store, and from 100 yards away across the street my binoculars don’t really allow me to see the full picture. (But I know what’s happening in there, don’t you forget it waterstones, if you’re reading this.)

What’s odd about strangers reading your stories is that you think back to where you were when you had the kernel of the idea for a story and you remember writing it on a train or somewhere (I write everything on trains) and its amazing to think that it’s now out here in a shop and in someone else’s head


TSR: What are you working on now?

DG: I am rewriting the final draft of my novel, Never Never, which is out in September on Tindal Street Press, I’m working on a set of ultra short stories using the medium of powerpoint presentations, which will be presented on 4 April at the Wigan Words literature festival, I’m also writing a suite of mini-operas with classical composer Ailis Ni Riain, the first of which will be on radio three in March 2008.


TSR: What are the three most recent short story collections you've read?

DG: James Salter, Lorrie Moore, Miranda July, I think