David Hartley’s short story collection ‘Fauna’ is a menagerie of animals, a weird and wonderful journey through fantasy, sci-fi and satire. Written during his trusteeship at the Manchester and Salford RSPCA, these stories explore our relationship to animals with comedy and a lightness of touch. ‘Pigskin’ will feature in our Shorts Season, an uncanny tale reminiscent of Animal Farm. A pig turns into bacon, a goat excretes cheese, a cow turns into leather, and 'pot-bellies', or humans, loom. David is a passionate animal rights writer and vegan and does not shy away from exploring difficult questions about how we treat our fellow creatures. At the same time, these stories never feel polemical.
Pig was reborn with skin made of bacon. He sizzles in the summer heat. Farmyard noses follow scent trails, all the way to his sty. Saliva drips, puddles on hoofs.
'Give us a nibble,' says Cow.
David Hartley has been widely published in literary magazines and horror anthologies including Ambit, Black Static, The Shadow Booth, Shallow Creek and The Ghastling. His first collection ‘Spiderseed’ was shortlisted for a Saboteur Award in 2016. He is the founder of the ‘Big Words’ live literature night in Chortlton and is passionate about performing his work. He has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester.
To express early interest in the collection or 'Pigskin' in particular, set for release in late February 2021, contact Isabelle Kenyon via Flyonthewallpress@hotmail.com.