Strange Footpaths
A tale of wandering and belonging inspired by the town of New Mills in Derbyshire.
The unnerving presence of footpaths in their multitudes. Infiltration of the sweet factory. A thieving jackdaw, and the quiet creatures that lurk at the end of the journey.
Written for the Sing Yonder Festival, New Mills in 2026. Words & photography by David Hartley
New Mills Zine #1
Limited copies available.
£6.50
**The first five sales come with a free homemade bookmark!**
Fauna
Weird tales about animals & humans
Fly on the Wall Press, 2021
Some we love, some we hate, some we eat. Some can time-travel through a telepathic equine network. Some can collaborate in avian theft. Some are trained to build canine cyborgs, while others are nothing but a figment of a bloodthirsty imagination; a fake elephant in a virtual room.
Tales of animals in all the wrong places. Stories that seek the minds of our fellow-feeling beasts. Yarns as old as Dragon herself, and just as angry. Vegan noir.
Edge Hill Short Story Prize, Longlist 2022
Saboteur Awards, Best Short Story Collection, Shortlist 2022.
£9
"Fiercely original, these are stories that are at times disturbing, absurd, and darkly comedic, and which refuse to conform to the constraints of time and space. A startling collection, that begs to be read aloud. Hartley is a brilliant storyteller, with the kind of imagination that leaves you feeling a bit fearful for your own safety.”
- Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Water Shall Refuse Them