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A Symbol of a Memory
- GenresShort Stories
10 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2023
3 people want to read
About the author
Jim Gibson
2 books10 followersJim Gibson is a small story writer and novelist from the Hidden Valleys area of the North Nottinghamshire Coalfields. His work has been described as ‘vanishing boundaries between nostalgia and trauma, work and leisure, reality and fantasy’ and has gained praise from a range of writers including Booker Prize winning author DBC Pierre. At times gritty realism, at others lighthearted and sometimes teetering on the edge of the bizarre, his work is uncategorisable. All told in Nottinghamshire dialect, it is immersive and page turning writing.
His latest collection, The Bygones, is available via Tangerine Press.
Entering the literary world as editor of Hand Job Zine, he has always been on the outskirts of the literary establishment, using his ‘outsider’ status to promote work that pushes literary boundaries, transgresses expectations and generally challenges perceptions whilst remaining fun and engaging for readers. Due to the success of Hand Job Zine, he then went on to co-found Hi Vis Press and edited the accompanying magazine, Low Light which featured writers such as Jenni Fagan and James Kelman.
His work has been published widely in the zine world (Paper and Ink, PUSH, Glove) and by more established literary platforms (3AM magazine, Bookstanista, Open Pen) alongside Being chosen to be included in the Best British Short Stories 2023 anthology published by Salt. Nightjar Press published a story as part of their Chapbook series in 2023 titled A Symbol of a Memory.
He has written a personal essay based on the rural working-class existence for The Quietus and currently self-publishes a series of zines titled The Hidden Valley at sporadic intervals with 50 numbered copies.
His latest collection, The Bygones, is available via Tangerine Press.
Entering the literary world as editor of Hand Job Zine, he has always been on the outskirts of the literary establishment, using his ‘outsider’ status to promote work that pushes literary boundaries, transgresses expectations and generally challenges perceptions whilst remaining fun and engaging for readers. Due to the success of Hand Job Zine, he then went on to co-found Hi Vis Press and edited the accompanying magazine, Low Light which featured writers such as Jenni Fagan and James Kelman.
His work has been published widely in the zine world (Paper and Ink, PUSH, Glove) and by more established literary platforms (3AM magazine, Bookstanista, Open Pen) alongside Being chosen to be included in the Best British Short Stories 2023 anthology published by Salt. Nightjar Press published a story as part of their Chapbook series in 2023 titled A Symbol of a Memory.
He has written a personal essay based on the rural working-class existence for The Quietus and currently self-publishes a series of zines titled The Hidden Valley at sporadic intervals with 50 numbered copies.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 27, 2024
Interesting. Evocative. Fragmented.
I will review my rating in a day or two. To see how it matures in my memory.
I will review my rating in a day or two. To see how it matures in my memory.
August 9, 2023
There's much potential in this short story which isn't realised, in my opinion. Several bystanders' versions of what should be an horrific event aren't given enough gravitas for enough to take hold, and the central figure's account is also insuffuciently meaningful for this to be much other than an exercise. It was ok, but no more than that.
July 14, 2025
Unlike many of Nightjar's other chapbooks, you finish A Symbol of a Memory having known exactly what happened, but this doesn’t provide any comfort at all. It is a nasty short tale of memories of trauma.
The window to the street was huge and drew me over. There was a scene, framed as a grand picture from a museum, only moving.
Written by Jim Gibson, an author from North Nottinghamshire. His work has been described as ‘vanishing boundaries between nostalgia and trauma, work and leisure, reality and fantasy’. He writes in the Nottinghamshire dialect and has most recently published a collection of his short stories called The Bygones.
Read my full review at Northern Books
https://www.northernbooks.org/
The window to the street was huge and drew me over. There was a scene, framed as a grand picture from a museum, only moving.
Written by Jim Gibson, an author from North Nottinghamshire. His work has been described as ‘vanishing boundaries between nostalgia and trauma, work and leisure, reality and fantasy’. He writes in the Nottinghamshire dialect and has most recently published a collection of his short stories called The Bygones.
Read my full review at Northern Books
https://www.northernbooks.org/
May 4, 2024
A deeply strange story, as to be expected from Nightjar Press. I loved the ending - it took a risk, and was rather beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews