At Christmas, Alan gave me some perfume: Rose by Paul Smith. (I’d squirted myself with some on my way through duty free and loved it. He’d remembered.) It smelled exactly like roses, and therefore like summer, like gardens, like all of the peace and happiness which (for me) goes with those places. I’d spray it on on the morning and really enjoy the scent. And then, at different times of day – maybe getting on the train, or halfway round the supermarket – I’d get another whiff of the roses, delicate and bright.

Reading Nik Perring’s book, ‘Not so Perfect’, has had a similar effect on me. It’s a tiny little book full of tiny little stories, printed on smooth, thick paper, illustrated with charm and quirkiness. These are stories you can read in a minute (and I do mean sixty seconds, not the “I’ll be there in a minute when I’ve finished this” sort of a minute). I first opened it while finishing breakfast one morning. I read the first story, about a bad tempered older man who gardens and is a trial to his younger wife. It made me smile, and it made my heart tighten a little, and I put it down and went on my way.

As I queued for (de-caff) coffee later that morning, I found myself thinking about this little story again, and mulling over how bad we can sometimes be at explaining what is really bothering us. On the train home, I looked out of the window and wondered what the woman did next. In the bath, I thought about the many different ways that we humans have to tell each other that we love each other.

Yes, these are stories that cling like perfume. These are words brought together which care and craftsmanship, and tales that make you laugh, and think. I especially liked ‘Lump’, in which a woman finds a lump in her breast but it doesn’t stop her having a whole lot of fun.

I liked this book so much I invited Nik over to say hello and answer some questions.

SB: Hello, Nik, and welcome to Bah! to cancer. I really enjoyed reading your short stories. They really are short – they’re almost micro-stories. How did you come to be interested in writing in such a way?

NP: Hi Stephanie. Thanks so much for having me here. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the stories in Not So Perfect.

I think I’ve always been drawn to the shorter form. I think I’m naturally inclined to write that way. I like the idea of being able to tell a whole story, or moment, in a space short enough for it to be read in one sitting. I like also that first drafts can be written in a short period of time too. I think it must have something to do with my rubbish attention span!

SB: Do you need different writing skills for short stories than for other types of fiction?

NP: I think that there are a number of skills any writer needs: a good imagination, dedication to writing, the ability to interest readers and (hopefully) to affect them with their carefully chosen words. The only different skill I’d say someone who writes very short pieces needs is the ability to say what needs to be said in the most efficient way possible and to be able to get rid of everything that isn’t absolutely needed. Now, I’m sure that is the case for most other writers, though I’d guess (without being disrespectful) that people who write longer things have the freedom to be less sparse.

SB: Do you enjoy being a writer?

NP: That’s a really good question! The pay’s lousy, I’m at my desk usually seven days a week, I’m constantly worrying that people won’t like what I do but I honestly absolutely love it. There aren’t many jobs where your work is being you.

SB: What’s your favourite short story by another writer? (Mine is Pigeon Feathers by John Updike, closely followed by The Storm by Kate Chopin.)

NP:I’ll definitely be looking those up!

I’m sorry, I’m going to have to cheat here because there are so many that are absolute favourites and I really couldn’t only give you one.

So: Breaking The Pig by Etgar Keret; The Meeting by Aimee Bender; Babycakes, by Neil Gaiman; Toad in the Hole by Sarah Salway; My Lover’s Name by Michael Czyzniejewski;Miss Temptation by Kurt Vonnegut; The Angel in the Car Park by Tania Hershman and On The Tram by Franz Kafka. And even in a list as long as this I feel bad for leaving so many out!

SB: What are you working on now?

NP: I’m just doing what I do – and that’s writing stories (as well as trying to promoteNot So Perfect as best I can!). I do have a few ideas for future projects but until I start them it’s difficult to know exactly what they’ll be!

SB: The BBBB is all about uplifting books. Can you tell me about a book that lifts your spirits?

NP: Any good book lifts my spirits. I guess when I’m feeling in need of a pick-me-up I’ll usually go back to books by Aimee Bender or Etgar Keret because I love them so much and because, even though I’ve read them many, many times over, the stories still feel fresh.

‘Love That Dog’ by Sharon Creech is a brilliant feel good book. Reading that always makes me smile. I’d definitely recommend that.

SB: And what’s your Desert Island book?

NP: Hopefully someone’s published something called, ‘How To Survive on a Desert Island and Find an Accessible Library or Book Store’ or something similar. If not it’d probably be Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender.

SB: Thank you!

NP: No, thank you! And keep up the splendid work!

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