A Man’s Gotta Eat by JP Relph may have zombies as the main characters but it seamlessly touches on the bigotry and hate-mongering that’s become all too familiar on the news and across social media.

JP, what inspired you to write your story for the ‘Revolt’ series?

I wanted to explore two meanings for the word Revolt: disgust and rebellion. Zombies are something I return to again and again in my writing, and I love the challenge of making something fresh from the genre. In this work, I wanted to hear from them, how they feel about their treatment – their humanity.

I’ll admit, my anger and frustration with what is happening in the USA and right here in the UK – the lack of any tolerance or acceptance, the simmering hate of “other” – made its way into this flash. I guess that’s my revolt.

Could you see yourself building the story out into a longer piece of work?

I would like to revisit these characters again; I liked them. It might be interesting to go back and write about how we got to this part of their story – but I think that about so many flash, and sometimes, they belong as flash.

What novel or short story has blown you away in the last couple of years?

I’ve been struggling for a couple of years to read longer work (health issues) and have only just returned to it. I did however beta read a piece for a writer friend that was around 6,000 words. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to read it all, but I was completely immersed and was at the end before I knew it. Sublime, lyrical, character-driven post-apocalypse writing by Sarah Royston. I think about it a lot – and that’s what great storytelling is for me, how it lingers.  

Of Strangers and Signals isn’t out in the world yet, and I am honoured to have gotten a sneak peak, but Sarah’s other writing is online and in anthologies, and her own stunning collection, Fernseed – so check it out.

Your story was for the ‘Revolt’ call out. What theme / topic would you choose for the next submission window and why?

You know, while it’s good to get angry and frustrated and feel the need to revolt – even if that means writing to clear your troubled mind – sometimes I think we need to rest too. Social media is all consuming at times, can leave us feeling lost and overwhelmed by unrelenting awfulness.

So, I’d suggest Hunker. I hunker down a lot; retreat a little into familiar TV and stories and the comfort of my cats and my thrifted home. I see there are a couple of meanings for Hunker, as there were with revolt, so lots to explore.

What writing projects do you have on for 2026?

I have nothing explicitly planned; I’m slowly returning to submitting again and getting back into writing flash. Obviously, as with so many writers, I’d love to get back into my novel – which has been residing comfortably in my files for 2yrs at 16,000 words or so – and try to get through more, if not all, of what I have in mind for it.

I’d also like to collaborate some more with other writers. The novella I wrote with Mathew Gostelow is a semi-finalist for the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship – we are so proud of that work, we both loved working together on it. I’ve also collaborated on shorter pieces with writer friends. It’s a lot of fun.

Congrats to yourself and Mathew on beings semi-finalists with Watcher — a great achievement in itself… and do keep chipping away at the novel.

Check out JP’s excellent site of flash fiction and stories, Trash Cat Lit — embarrassingly, I thought the title was Trash Can Lit for waaaayy too long. Time to buy some new glasses I reckon.

Do have a read of JP’s story here https://urbanpigspress.co.uk/2026/01/30/a-mans-gotta-eat-jp-relph/