Aromabingo

Utterly brilliant. Hilariously demented and wonderfully succinct. David Gaffney’s Sawn-off Tales are little McNuggets of pure gold. This is writing at its best.

-- Graham Rawle

David Gaffney writes truly 21st century stories for a fragmented and fragmenting world; they’re short, snappy and utterly addictive and they should be required reading for anybody trying to make sense of Britain in 2006; or for anybody in a bus queue with five minutes to spare.

-- Ian McMillan

Funny, pointed, and sometimes even disturbing, Gaffney’s stories deserve to be read.

-- Jim Burns * Ambit *

Gaffney’s book will knock you out. Packed with emotion, annoyance, and social science fiction, its a testament to imagination and the skill of illustrating it.

-- Harlan Levey * Modart *

Gaffney has produced the kind of book that makes you wish you spent more time locked in your imagination and less time dismissing irreverent thoughts. There’s a parochial quality to this work that gives off a humble warm glow. Set in Woolworths, barber shops, and offices, Gaffney looks at relationships and his characters are all a little lost and tinged with pathos but surreally optimistic. Each story has a quirky end which make you wish Gaffney was allowed 15 minutes of time with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to make his vision come to life.

-- Lianne Steinberg * The Big Issue *

Reality becomes dislocated and strange and words and phrases acquire a compelling importance in these sad, funny fables. They recall evanescent moments of connection and happiness. One hundred and fifty words by Gaffney are more worthwhile than novels by a good many others.

-- Nicholas Clee * The Guardi