Joseph Lavelle

Joseph Lavelle lives in Liverpool. In the early 1980s, he was married before coming out as gay. He worked alongside Jimmy Sommerville and Richard Coles on the award-winning documentary Framed Youth: Revolt of the Teenage Perverts. He has a Creative Writing MA from Lancaster University and has been writing since the 1990s. He was a freelance writer contributing to The Big Issue, Gay Times and other publications before concentrating on short fiction. His stories have been published in anthologies and literary journals in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Germany and Viet Nam. He writes on a wide range of subjects including mental health, family and sexuality. His collection of short fiction, Alone with the Germans was published in 2016.

Credentials

Joseph Lavelle in 60 seconds

When did you start writing?

1993 Liverpool, England.

What do you love about short stories?

That they can encapsulate something complex and universal in such a concise way.

Do you write in other forms?

I am working on a novel and in the past I have written feature articles for a variety of publications.

What distracts you from writing?

Twitter, Facebook and the fantastic writing of other authors.

Outside of writing, what are your other passions?

I'm a gay activist. I also love film, theatre and the gym.

What is your favourite book?

The Dog of the Marriage by Amy Hempel.

Who are your favourite writers?

Colm Toibin, Christopher Isherwood and Lydia Davis.

Where is your dream location?

Berlin, Germany.

What one item would you put into Room 101?

Bigotry and willful ignorance.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Don't be intimidated by the fact that other writers seem to have got everything sussed - they haven't, or if they have they were once where you are now.