Driving Short Distances

In Driving Short Distances Joff Winterhart has created an unforgettable central player, Keith Nutt, who deserves to join Keith Talent in the short but potent list of great British literary Keiths. He is an unforgettable character, beautifully drawn and exquisitely written, and he confirms Winterhart as one of the most talented graphic novelists in the UK. – Zadie Smith
Masterpiece is an overused word in reviews and ordinarily I avoid it with much the same determination as Keith tries to avoid getting crumbs on his work trousers. In this case, however, it is the only one that will do. Winterhart has delivered a perfect book – Rachel Cooke * Observer *
Joff Winterhart’s follow-up to his sweet, loving, Costa Award-nominated debut Days Of The Bagnold Summer is another slice of pitch-perfect comic social realism. Imagine if Alan Bennett was a cartoonist and you’re halfway there… The whole thing is a lovely example of the Odd Couple format that slowly, carefully reveals its secrets. In short, it’s a Play for Today drama told in comic book form. – Teddy Jamieson * Herald Scotland *
With mournful ink-and-paint drawings and a talent for wordless suggestion, Joff Winterhart’s comics create a sad and very British kind of underdog comedy… At heart, this perfectly observed comic is a story about recovery. It’s also one of the best books of any kind that I’ve read all year. – Tim Martin * Daily Telegraph *
This graphic novel poignantly examines quarter-life crisis and surrogate father-son relationships… Joff Winterhart’s illustrations are marked by their grounded realism, and he explores the anxieties of being a young adult and the repetitions of small-town life. The book captures not only the central characters’ relationship, but also the familiar feelings of regret and boredom. * New Statesman *
I simply can’t see how this marvelous, moving book about men… Could possibly fail to spread joy. – Rachel Cooke * Guardian *
An absolute pleasure to read * Quietus, Books of the Year *
Deliriously funny. – Patrick Gale * Good Housekeeping *

Joff Winterhart is an artist, writer, occasional film-maker, ‘drummer’, and dog fan.

His graphic novel Days of the Bagnold Summer was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award in 2012 and adapted into a film. His second graphic novel Driving Short Distances came out in 2017.

He also made the animated films Two Guys I Know and Violet and Turquoise, which won the Cymru BAFTA for best animation in 2003.

He lives in Bristol, where he plays drums and writes songs in the long-running band Bucky, and thinks about getting a new dog.

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