GALLEY BEGGAR PRESS SHORT STORY PRIZE 2022/23

An interview with GBP Short Story Prize author Nicholas Petty

Congratulations on your GBP Short Story Prize longlisting, Nicholas. This is the second time you’ve been longlisted for the prize (the first time for ‘It is summer at Camp Pomodoro’, in 2018/19), and we’re delighted to see you again. This time, you’ve been longlisted for your story, ‘Lino has sat on his glasses’ – and it would be great if you could say a bit more on that for our readers: what it’s about, how the idea came to you, how you set about writing it…

Firstly, thanks for having me back! It's a huge privilege to appear once again on the Galley Beggar Press website in that magical Galley Beggar font.

It's no great secret that sports officials take a lot of flak, particularly during your regular Sunday kickabout. And yet, these wonderful people still turn up the following week. To begin with, I simply wanted to capture this on the page. The character of a quiet, insecure, but strangely brave and persistent Lino took shape in the writing, as did all his various antagonists, until it finally (and possibly inevitably) became a sad tale in which Lino is pushed to his limit. Still, will he turn up again next Sunday? I wouldn't bet against it.

‘Lino has sat on his glasses’ is about football, about the dynamics of ‘the team’, about competitiveness and masculinity, and – unfortunately – about what feels like a particularly male form of bullying. Would you say this is right – and what is going on in those relationships?

Yes that's right. Masculinity and competitiveness often go hand-in-hand; add in some toxicity and it can lead to a very particular form of intimidation and hostility. In this case, the fleeting hierarchy of a local sports team has some part to play. As with a lot of these interactions, it's all underpinned by insecurity and a desire to fit in, emotions that afflict both bully and victim. 

(Do you like football?)

I follow football but I can't play. My record for kickups stands at 5, and that was a fluke.

In ‘Lino has sat on his glasses’ – and ‘It is summer at Camp Pomodoro’, too – there’s a potent mix of humour and melancholy. Where does this come from, and is it something that you have to work at to create? (Or is it something that just comes naturally?)

I like to read both humourous melancholy and straight-up serious melancholy (if such categories exist) but I struggle to write the latter, and I'm always in awe of people who can. I guess adding lightness to the mix is a way of softening the sadness, while also introducing some contrast for the reader. I also find humour fun to write, it's what comes out first. Just got to hope it lands...

Something I want to ask about style: ‘Lino has sat on his glasses’ is written almost as a series of statements (or maybe ‘reports’ is a better word) and in the present tense. How did you settle on this, and why?

Good question! I find landing on the perspective and style for a story a mysterious process. All I know is that at some point it clicks into gear and the words start appearing on the screen at an acceptable rate. At the moment, this tends to happen more often than not in the ‘reporting’ style. In that way, I suppose it's a style I'm developing. At the very least, this style allows me to cover a lot of ground without getting too tangled up in scenes, and it makes for more remote, cooler observation, which gives the story breathing space. I like to think that in this story, we observe Lino from a short distance, much like we would when watching him run the line. But I wouldn't want all of that to sound too intentional. Basically, I enjoy writing in this way, and it helps me get to the end of the story, which is the most important thing of all.

OK! A bit more about general writing. How long have you been writing for? What are you working on at the moment? Do you have a routine (and how hard, or easy, is it to stick to)?

I've been writing for a few years now, flipping between short stories and novels. At the moment, I'm working on longer short stories with a view to combining them into a novel-in-parts. 

My routine works best when I start early, having avoided all things phone and internet. It also involves internet-blocking software. It's always a battle.

What are you reading right now – and name a few writers we should know about.

I'm currently reading The Sidekick by Benjamin Markovits, which, as chance would have it, is about sport and male relationships. It's based in the basketball world, which I know nothing about, but it's beautifully observed and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. While I'm at it, another sport-plus-masculinity book I liked is Stephen Florida by Gabe Habash, which is told from the point of view of a wrestling-obsessed college student. It's both hilarious and sad. I loved it.

Otherwise, some of my all time favourite writers are David Szalay, Susanna Clarke, Elizabeth Strout, Laurent Binet, and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Short story-wise, I'll always recommend Wells Tower, and I don't think I'm breaking new ground by saying George Saunders is pretty great. Also, if you haven't already, you should read former GBP Short Story Prize listee Alice Ash’s Paradise Block – it's fab.

Finally, we’re inviting all our longlistees to host their own fantasy literary dinner party: Who’s on the guest list, where are you holding it, what’s on the menu? (Any potential for upset, or is everyone having a lovely time?)

I'm inviting only Kazuo Ishiguro so he can finally meet the progeny of his work: my little butler-gloved tuxedo cat, Mr Stevens. The three of us will have some good food and wine and discuss the essence dignity. I can't imagine there will be any major arguments.

Read Nicholas’s GBP Short Story Prize-nominated story, ‘Lino has sat on his glasses’, here.