Ways of Living
Gemma Seltzer
‘These are sharp, wry, playful stories of split and secret selves, alter-egos, doppelgangers – of escape routes from the very contemporary and existential crises their women find themselves in. I enjoyed them hugely.’
– Lucy Caldwell, author of Intimacies
‘A beautiful book of sharp wit and wonderful irreverence. Uncanny, brilliant stories.’
– Rachel Long, author of My Darling from the Lions
Andie can see no other way to escape a wedding than by hiding in a tree. Esther starts a new life in a King’s Cross hotel with a bad-tempered ventriloquist dummy, while Gina finally leaves a group of infuriating friends – but not before providing them with a suitable replacement.
Ways of Living is Gemma Seltzer’s keen exploration of what it means to be a modern woman inhabiting the urban landscape. Ten stories of ordinary women going to extraordinary lengths to be understood, acting in bold and unpredictable ways as they map their identities onto London’s streets.
How do we speak and listen to each other? Who gets to talk? And what is the true power of quiet in a noisy world?
Praise for Gemma Seltzer and Ways of Living
‘An unsettling yet captivating look at life as a woman in day-to-day London.’
– Lunate Fiction
‘These are women we know, sometimes women we are, embracing their own weird messes and taking them out into the world.’
– MsLexia
‘Seltzer’s close attention to detail, her use of listening, and her keen interest in portraying real women highlight the complexities of female friendship… an insightful, intriguing, and thought-provoking read.’
– Medium
‘Seltzer is deft when it comes to the permeable boundaries between love and hate, worship and rage, friendship and something darker. This insightful collection shows us that what we feel is not always as straightforward as we might like to believe.’
– Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days
‘Stories of tonal twist and plot ingenuity, written on a knife-edge between love and vulnerability, between humour and darkness.’
– Ross Raisin, author of God’s Own Country
‘A bold blast of London women weaving their way through the world in their own unique style. Gemma’s captivating, perfect-pitch writing makes this a joy to delve into and get lost in different ways of living.’
– Sabrina Mahfouz
‘Relationships are at the core of this collection: women’s often painful friendships with each other but also with a city that they experience intimately. The characters’ deep connections are beautifully written with unexpected, and often gently violent, twists.’
– Alison Winch, author of Darling, It’s Me
‘A sharp collection of stories of women’s lives in London.’
– Diana Evans, author of Ordinary People
‘Ways of Living is a graceful examination of the fiction of selfhood, the beauty of the peculiar and the city as a slippery truth.’
– Maria Fusco
‘A sharp, witty collection filled with unforgettable women attempting to navigate both their internal landscapes and the urban spaces they inhabit. I was gripped, delighted, and endlessly surprised.’
– Sarah Butler, author of Jack & Bet
‘Seltzer is an acute observer of women and the city they navigate together and alone. She writes with subtlety and precision about the sometimes-absurdity of the female experience; how women can seem to become each other or the places they inhabit.’
– Emily Haworth-Booth, author and illustrator of The Last Tree
‘Fantastic, evocative miniature masterpieces.’
– Josie Long, on Speak to Strangers
’Seltzer is concerned less with what's said than what isn't; all that underlies the random, perfunctory exchanges that comprise city life.’
– The Lady
‘A witty, self-deprecating, clear-sighted flaneuse.’
– Tony William, Flash
‘A writer in command of her abilities, disseminating seemingly bitesize chunks that speak volumes.’
– Booktrust, on Speak to Strangers
‘Heart-warming and innovative... a depth and variety so diverse that it is difficult to believe that this is one person’s journey in just one city.’
– The Short Review, on Speak to Strangers
About the Author
Gemma Seltzer is a London-based writer. Her work includes the Guardian’s award-winning virtual reality film ‘Songbird,’ fictional blog ‘5am London’ and online flash fiction series ‘Speak to Strangers,’ subsequently published by Penned in the Margins. She collaborates with dancers, photographers and older adults to create writing and storytelling projects. Gemma has written for BBC Radio 3, performed her work at the Venice Biennale and runs Write & Shine, a programme of early morning writing workshops and online courses. gemmaseltzer.com
Paperback ISBN: 9781910312759
Ebook ISBN: 9781910312766
Publication date: July 2021
Formats: Paperback / eBook