‘ Thankyou for your proposal which we’re very pleased to accept for the conference on May 10th. We’ll be in touch as soon as possible with details of the programme.’

Well… Bloody hell. Best write that paper I pitched:

‘Taboo Collections – Transgression in Short Story’

In this paper I propose to demonstrate that the short story medium is the optimum form for experimental and transgressive fiction, both within style and content, and that collections of transgressive work are far more affective overall than a single novel.

Opening with an extract from the short story ‘Lilley’, a piece that challenges our thoughts on paedophilia in literature through the aping of it in a brothel of dwarfs who dress and act like children, I shall move on to discuss taboo in literature as a whole. Caustic language and sharp shocks can only retain their effectiveness for a short time before a reader becomes too comfortable, thus in literature where the intent is to challenge, shock and appal, a tight and concise form is best for originality. There is also no safe word in reading, so an end point is as important as the endurance-run story itself.

Finally, I shall close with the 750 word ‘Tasteless’, which sufficiently underlines all the points made before closing with Q&A.

See you there, Anthony. We still on to vomit nervously into a bucket together?

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