Residencies and projects
David had devised and delivered many live literature projects over the years. He has been writer in residence at the M62 motorway, at Piccadilly Railway Station in Manchester, in a confessional box in Dorset, in an opera company in Leeds, for a group of charity shops in Trafford, an anti-poverty unit in Salford, a vintage caravan in Burnley, and an art gallery bookshop, and he has worked with painters, composers, opera producers, illustrators, free improvisatory music groups, sound artists with film archives, and with many other creatives and organisations.
Here's a few examples of projects he has delivered...and a few upcoming
Sleeve Notes was a collaborative performance response to coincide with 2025's Record Store Day. Ten writers teamed up with ten musicians to offer their take on how records have shaped their lives and thinking, each pair creating a brand-new track combining spoken word and music.
You can listen to the tracks, download them and order a limited edition cassette here
The pieces were performed live by the writers and musicians at the International Burgess Centre in Manchester on the evening of Record Store Day - Saturday 12 April 2025 - all precisely timed to coincide with you being able to queue and procure those all-important discs and hotfoot it over and grab a drink and take the weight off and chill out... read more
Tootally Wired
Manchester Histories Festival explores the impact and meaning of the famous Manchester manufactured Tootal scarf, with new live commissions from seven writers and artists who will explore the scarf and its social history, its impact on fashion over the last few decades, what it’s place in society is now, and its significance to working class men through the ages who have always wanted to dress up and look smart yet look cool and distinctive too. Read more
Stockport Stories
Stockport was the Town of Culture in 2024 and to celebrate this, five writers were commissioned to produce a new piece of work each inspired by Stockport. The writers were Sarah Butler, Sarah-Clare Conlon, David Gaffney, Joe Stretch, and Emily Yates. The 5 writers delivered prose and poetry on a variety of themes – rivers, hats, music, low flying planes, suburbia and many more Stockport infused topics and the work was performed live at Rare Mags in Stockport and Mura Ma Gallery, Marple. Read more
Stockport was the Town of Culture in 2024 and to celebrate this, five writers were commissioned to produce a new piece of work each inspired by Stockport. The writers were Sarah Butler, Sarah-Clare Conlon, David Gaffney, Joe Stretch, and Emily Yates. The 5 writers delivered prose and poetry on a variety of themes – rivers, hats, music, low flying planes, suburbia and many more Stockport infused topics and the work was performed live at Rare Mags in Stockport and Mura Ma Gallery, Marple. Read more
The Whitehaven Whale
In 2022 David was writer in residence at the Whitehaven Whale project responding to the life-sized replica of a beached whale on the shore, for which he produced ultra-short stories which were printed out on cards and then dropped guerilla style in cafe and bars. He also staged impromptu reading on the beach and in other venues in the town. Short films of him reading the whale stories were made and circulated on social media. The story are now available on Osmosis Press. Read more
In 2022 David was writer in residence at the Whitehaven Whale project responding to the life-sized replica of a beached whale on the shore, for which he produced ultra-short stories which were printed out on cards and then dropped guerilla style in cafe and bars. He also staged impromptu reading on the beach and in other venues in the town. Short films of him reading the whale stories were made and circulated on social media. The story are now available on Osmosis Press. Read more
Fax fiction
In 2019, David was lead writer of six writers in residence at the Reflex festival in Manchester, where after consultation with local communities the artists decided that owing the large amount of charity shops they would celebrate recent obsolete technology that was often on sale there – typewriters and dictaphones slide projectors and cassette players - and they devised and delivered a show called Fax Fiction which took place in the local arts centre and charity shops and included a brand-new commission by sound artist Gary Fisher. Read more 
Station Stories
In 2011 David worked with five other writers and produced Station Stories, a show involving linking up a roving audience with wireless headphones to watch and listen to site-specific performances on the concourse, platforms and cafes at Piccadilly station, Manchester Read more 
Flash In The Van
For his residency at Burnley Literature Festival in 2019 he came up the concept of Flash in The Van where he placed a tiny vintage caravan in the town centre and arranged for several different writers to read flash fiction stories to bijou audiences of six at a time. |
Powerlines
In Powerlines he was writer in residence for Salford anti-poverty unit in 2017 where he worked with communities in recovery from alcohol and drug misuse and helped them produce pieces of creative writing which they performed at the Manchester literature festival. Read more
In Powerlines he was writer in residence for Salford anti-poverty unit in 2017 where he worked with communities in recovery from alcohol and drug misuse and helped them produce pieces of creative writing which they performed at the Manchester literature festival. Read more
The Three Rooms In Valerie's Head
For the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in 2015 David led on a residency consisting of himself, illustrator Dan Berry and composer and musician Sara Lowe. They produced a 40 minute performance piece including visuals and live music called The Three Rooms in Valerie’s Head Read more
Errata Slips
During David’s residency for independent art gallery Cornerhouse in Manchester 2011 David placed fake errata slips in magazines in the bookshop, to disrupt and entertain unsuspecting readers. Read more
During David’s residency for independent art gallery Cornerhouse in Manchester 2011 David placed fake errata slips in magazines in the bookshop, to disrupt and entertain unsuspecting readers. Read more
Comics Show and Tell
Comics Show and Tell is a fringe event for the lakes International Comic Arts Festival in Cumbria, consisting of live readings with projections by nine comic book artists at the top of their game. Audience members can come and go as they please, speak with artists in the breaks, and buy cheap zines. Delivered in 2023 and coming again in 2024. Read more
Preston 3twenty
To celebrate Preston Guild in 2012, an ambitious, unique and long-lasting literature project was launched. Preston 3twenty began in 2012 and will end at the next Preston Guild in 2032, and in the intervening years will engage and delight audiences in with a portmanteau tale of Preston future, Preston past and Preston present. The project was presented in year 1 as an audio trail around Preston City Centre. Read more
To celebrate Preston Guild in 2012, an ambitious, unique and long-lasting literature project was launched. Preston 3twenty began in 2012 and will end at the next Preston Guild in 2032, and in the intervening years will engage and delight audiences in with a portmanteau tale of Preston future, Preston past and Preston present. The project was presented in year 1 as an audio trail around Preston City Centre. Read more
23 stops to Hull
In 2009 the Humbermouth literature festival asked David to be writer in residence for a 100 mile stretch of motorway between Liverpool and Hull – the M62 - and the result of this was a visit to every town near a junction on the motorway, after which he produced 23 Stops To Hull, which he performed live with projected visuals. Read more...
Men who like women who smell of their jobs
In his residency at John Rylands Library David asked painter Alison Erika Forde to produce paintings in response to his short stories. Read more...
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Boy You Turn Me
Working with composer Ailis Ni Riain in an empty shop in Birmingham, David produced the sound installation Boy You Turn Me, for Birmingham Book Festival. Read more
Boy You Turn Me
Working with composer Ailis Ni Riain in an empty shop in Birmingham, David produced the sound installation Boy You Turn Me, for Birmingham Book Festival. Read more
The Poole Confessions
For Poole arts festival in 2010 David delivered The Poole Confessions, a set of stories that were shared one-to-one in a mobile confessional box. Read more
Sawn off opera
Sawn-off Opera was a set of short operas with composer Ailís Ní Ríain for BBC Radio3 and tete a tete festival. Read more
Sawn-off Opera was a set of short operas with composer Ailís Ní Ríain for BBC Radio3 and tete a tete festival. Read more
Destroy PowerPoint
Destroy PowerPoint was two weeks of live perfromances at Edinburgh Festival in 2009. Read more
Destroy PowerPoint was two weeks of live perfromances at Edinburgh Festival in 2009. Read more
Buildings Crying Out
In 2009 David was writer in residence at Lancaster Storey Institute in 2009 where he used lost cat posters as a platform to deliver short stories to the public. Read more
In 2009 David was writer in residence at Lancaster Storey Institute in 2009 where he used lost cat posters as a platform to deliver short stories to the public. Read more
Les Malheureux
Les Malheureux is a unique collaboration between flash fiction writers David Gaffney, author of the critically acclaimed collections Sawn-off Tales, Aromabingo and The Half-life Of Songs plus the novel Never Never, and Sarah-Clare Conlon, editor of the anthology Quickies: Short Stories For Adults. This stage show combines live literature with original music and projections to deliver a completely new take on the form, and one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Read more
Les Malheureux is a unique collaboration between flash fiction writers David Gaffney, author of the critically acclaimed collections Sawn-off Tales, Aromabingo and The Half-life Of Songs plus the novel Never Never, and Sarah-Clare Conlon, editor of the anthology Quickies: Short Stories For Adults. This stage show combines live literature with original music and projections to deliver a completely new take on the form, and one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Read more