Campbell gives voice to the extraordinary (never ordinary) men and women of Manchester. He goes beyond the King's English and formulaic approaches to short stories to capture, in print, how people really talk. Think James Kelman, Irvine Welsh, but Mancunian. Funny and heartfelt, this book is a romp to whizz through with pleasure. Forget mad for it Madchester, this is the Manchester of now, where Hacienda clichés turn into corporate nightmares and the only art is in marketing.

Short, sharp and scabrously funny, Campbell’s energetic, raw short stories head into the backstreets and byways of Manchester. His swaggering and unsentimental style unspools societal ills and how they impact the lives of his characters.

Saying Dirty Things in Regional Accents, is lively, bold and insightful … His use of form is also anything but ordinary, as he deviates from the standard and the expected to ensure each story relayed here is refreshingly unique. This is how reading should be: entertaining, enjoyable and original.⁠

The passing of time (and all of its sickening crimes) is one of Campbell’s regular concerns (as is the passing of a father figure – a lot of stories here concern people who have recently lost their father). You sense Campbell’s ghostly figure as he walks the streets of Manchester, remembering sad days past, the glory of which overshadow the dismal present. But it should be said (in case you think Campbell is a gloomy sort) Saying Dirty Things in Regional Accents is also funny, beautifully observed, and entertaining fare for an admittedly rainy and overcast start to the new year.

Neil Campbell is a short story writer, novelist and poet. From Manchester, England, he has appeared three times in the annual anthology of Best British Short Stories (2012/2015/2016). He has published four collections of short fiction, two novels, two poetry chapbooks and one poetry collection, as well as appearing in numerous magazines and anthologies.