ANDREW FFRENCH harks back to an era of dyed fringes and black eyeliner in the debut novel of Oxford writer Dan Gothard.

IN THE early 1980s, David Sylvian’s band Japan was one of the most stylish groups around.

And if you were a real fan, you dyed your fringe and wore the right uniform, including a long raincoat, a pair of white canvas shoes, and maybe even some black eyeliner.

Unfortunately, Sylvian’s faultless sense of fashion was not always appreciated by gangs of skinheads in provincial towns around the UK, as I and novelist Daniel Gothard, inset, both found out to our cost.

“I grew up in Reading and I did get beaten up when my brother and I walked into a skinhead pub,” recalls the 40-year-old, whose first novel Relax and Swing has just been published.

The father-of-three, a bookseller at Waterstone’s in Oxford, thought he would try his luck at writing fiction instead of selling it after taking a masters degree in creative writing a few years ago.

Last year, a short story he wrote was featured in an anthology called Eight Hours by Legend Press and Relax and Swing is now being published as a print on demand title by YouWriteOn.com The novel tells the story of Johnny Frinker, a freelance music photographer who eventually lands a job for Melody Maker, snapping Eighties acts including OMD, The Associates and, of course, David Sylvian.

There are long periods of egotistical fantasy, during which he lets down a series of girlfriends and, in one delightful episode which rang a few bells, has a tantrum because an ex-girlfriend fails to return a precious 12-inch single. The Oxford branch of Waterstone’s where he works, and 10 other branches have agreed to stock the novel.

Mr Gothard, who lives in Old Marston, Oxford, said: “Waterstone’s have been very supportive. It would be great if publicity surrounding the publication encouraged a literary agent to sign me up.

“I worked for HMV until I was about 22 and I always wanted to write something about music in the 1980s.

“When I was in my early 20s, I met my first serious girlfriend and things changed for me in that relationship – I stopped dying my hair and started thinking about a mortgage.

“Johnny enjoys his life, but he realises that the good times will have to come to an end.”

Before writing the novel, Mr Gothard, whose three children are aged 12, four and two, was careful to explain to his family that the characters in the novel were not based on them. But Johnny’s mum, like his own, was a regular at Greenham Common, and this similarity led to a few cross words.

“My mum is still speaking to me – she’s still helping out with the child care,” a relieved Mr Gothard told The Guide. “In the end my mum made a wry joke that at least her character hadn't been killed off.”

One publicity proposal is to send the book to TV presenter Jonathan Ross, in the hope that he will give it a mention because of his love of early eighties sounds.

David Sylvian, below, might also enjoy the nostalgic take on his heyday.

l Relax and Swing is published by YouWriteOn.com price £7.99 and is available on Amazon and at selected Waterstone’s stores, including the Cornmarket Street branch.