In this Writers at Work interview, we caught up with short-story writer Jade E Bradford, to hear more about her creative practice, her current work in-progress, and a very juicy list of recommended books and authors: the people who have inspired her to dream big with her own fiction writing.

Tell us about your writing life. When did it start? What does it look like now?

If you ask my dad he’ll tell you that when I was at junior school the teachers would pass my poetry around the staff room because it was so good. Maybe he’s where I get my propensity for storytelling from. But it’s true to say I’ve been obsessed with books, reading and writing ever since I was in kindergarten.

I had a real ‘life gets in the way’ moment between graduating from my Masters in Creative Writing and the pandemic, with some sporadic bursts of writing here and there. But I’ve really invested the time and effort into my writing since I moved to Wales. I credit my cats for the inspiration and the incredible support of everyone at Literature Wales.

Now, I’m writing as much as I can when I am not working. I’ve made some great progress and had a few short stories published as well as a bit of non-fiction work. But, I hate to say it, I’ve also realised that to have a great writing life, sometimes you have to actually leave the house. We authors can be weird, introverted, solitary creatures, but finding community is the best thing you can do for your writing. They say living is writing, so I try to spend as much time as I can being around other authors. Sharing ideas, hearing their own brand of genius and being inspired really helps the writing along. That might look like going to a book launch at the library or going to DUKE AL’s amazing Poet Treehouse events in Dinas Powys, or traversing the UK to go to literary festivals. But I think every bit of that makes us better writers.

What kind of writing excites you most?

Mostly, I love quiet stories. Stories which could be perceived as mundane and ordinary, but which are written so meticulously they’re devastating. Obviously, I am obsessed with short fiction, but I also read a lot of novels. I am a ‘less action, more characters having prolonged existential crises’ type reader. I am an obsessive supporter of women of colour in fiction, and I can’t believe the incredible quality of books we’ve seen come out of the UK in the last few years.

Can I give you a list? I’m going to anyway. Manny and the Baby by Varaidzo is a modern classic and should be on the GCSE curriculum. The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje is the kind of book that makes you gasp out loud in public. Last week I cried on the train reading These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany. I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel turned my life on its head. I think Jendella Benson, Luan Goldie and Candice Carty-Williams are the voices of our generation. But also, I will tell anyone who’ll listen that Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah is a perfect book. Caleb Azumah Nelson writes love like he invented it. Bryan Washington is the author I wish I was.

Looking back at those names, I guess what I am trying to say is that I love real stories about real people. I could do this all day. Can we get me a podcast?

What are you working on right now?

MYSELF. Well, that, and also my short story collection, Desire Lines. It is finished, but I’ve had a bit of space from it now so I am revisiting it to see if it needs anything. It was a really emotional endeavour getting to the end of it and I am hoping I can look at it now for the 1000^th time without having a breakdown. I really loved writing it in a way I’ve never loved writing anything before. Which is saying something, because I love writing everything.

The beautiful thing about short fiction is there’s always another story you can add, there’s always another character waiting to meet you who fits the theme. So I’m trying to figure out if any of the people hanging around on the periphery want to come in and join the party.

Where do you write?

Oh, everywhere. I’m not precious. On my phone in the bathroom. On the train (I am on the train a lot). I’ve also just come back from a weekend at Nant, the writers’ retreat cottage at Tŷ Newydd.

I’ve got a big pink chair in the spare room which I attempt to write in whilst my cats climb over my keyboard. Once or twice a year, I venture out and try to write in a café in Barry or Cardiff and inevitably fail massively. At least I get to eat a tasty treat when I do that, though. I’m very snack motivated.

When do you write?

If you’d not noticed yet, I am an incredibly erratic person so there’s no real answer to this, timewise. I am not a ‘morning pages’ or scheduled time kind of person; I write when the words are itching to get out of my body. So, I am a 10k one day and nothing for the next 3 months sort of character. Unbearable, and yet, weirdly productive.

And… why do you write?

Because words are a gift and we should use them! Because I want little black girls to see themselves in books, because I want messy unapologetic black women to be joyfully represented. Because my voice is important and I appreciate that. Because I’ve got too many opinions and ideas and my friends and family are probably sick to the back teeth of hearing them.

Is there a book or author that has influenced you?

I could reel off a million authors and books who’ve changed my life in some way. But really the person who has influenced me the most is my best friend, Yepoka Yeebo, the award-winning author of Anansi’s Gold: The man who swindled the world. When we met she was just a fellow nerd at Black Girls Book Club with an incredible story to tell. To see where she’s ended up is inspiring and incredible, but also, the fact that someone so talented believes in little old me, is life-changing. I don’t know that I would have done half the things I’ve done in the last six years without her.

Tell us about something you are really proud of.

General answer: My cats. Literary answer: Are you kidding? Being part of Writers at Work. I actually cannot believe it. And related to that, I guess, realising that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and putting myself out there, relentlessly, where the opportunity presents itself.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a writer developing your practice?

Oh! I tell everyone this. Dorothy Koomson told me to stop editing my work whilst I am writing it. It was the best advice anyone’s ever given me, even if I hate following it. It’s the only reason I ever managed to finish Desire Lines, to be honest. Life-changing. Going back to a story and editing it weeks or months later gives you so much more clarity and distance.

There are so many ways to have a creative career. What would life as a ‘working’ writer look like for you?

Well. I have worked in social housing for a thousand years and I love my job. And the fact of the matter is, most authors have a day job which isn’t being a novelist or whatever. I feel really blessed, in a sense, because my love for storytelling only enhances my job in communications and engagement. Because I care about people, information, accuracy and crafting narratives that work for the audience. I spend my days editing and that keeps me sharp for my fiction writing. So, for me, life as a working writer means using those skills in the day job and finding the space around that to write fiction, too. In the future maybe the two will merge together a bit more because I really believe in fiction as a driver for social justice. So I think a lot about how we as authors can use stories and storytelling to give back to the communities we love.

Writers at Work is a creative development programme for Welsh writers at Hay Festival, with the support of Literature Wales and Folding Rock, funded by Arts Council of Wales.

Offering a fully-programmed ten days of creative development opportunities, Hay Festival Writers at Work allows the selected writers to engage in Festival events, attend workshops with publishers, agents and, crucially, with established international artists.

Check out some of our recommended events for this year’s Hay Festival here, including showcase readings from the 2025 Writers at Work cohort.