Bad Archive

Bad Archive
by Fiona Feltham
Review by Alex

This collection of short stories-meets-essays by Wellington writer and archivist Flora Feltham felt like a great catch-up with an old friend: intimate, quietly joyful, and self-affirming.

Each story pulls off a delightful bait-and-switch – exploring one thing at surface level, while so much more simmers underneath. She writes about her passing obsession with a Victorian teenager; a drug-fuelled Croatian holiday; a Meccano convention; species of gulls in Aotearoa; her worm farm. At the same time, she slowly, quietly tells us about her sister, whose loss echoes through the years; about her work as an archivist and the imperfect lens with which she peers into the past; about her slowly-warming relationship with her father; about the impact of colonisation on the ecological system.

Her writing is measured, logical, calm but also brutally honest. She doesn’t shy away from a tricky topic or hard truth. Everyday tragedies are depicted unflinchingly: infidelity, family dynamics, friendships ending meaninglessly. Inversely, when she reflects on the good in life, it is hard not to smile with her, and these small rich joyful sentences peek out unexpectedly all through the book.

This was a great debut and I look forward to reading more of her work in future. Perfect for readers who enjoy Lucia Berlin or Sarah Quigley.