IN-PERSON EVENTS
Friday 21st February, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Italian Mill
Willow Winsham – Talk
‘To Their Great Terror and Afrightment’: Spectral Evidence and the Witch Trials
Tickets £6.50
Belief in, and fear of witches was endemic across Europe and areas of America from the 15th century until well into the 18th and beyond. During this time, the idea that a witch could send their spirit or spectre to harm the innocent took firm hold, with countless victims relating how they had been attacked and abused by an invisible tormentor. The idea of spectral evidence was one of the most hotly contested and debated questions of the period of the witch trials: Could a witch really send their spirit to cause harm or was it the Devil taking the witch’s form? Could the Devil impersonate an innocent person, or only the guilty? And, crucially, was such evidence alone enough to put a person to death?
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Friday 21st February, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Studio 1
Matthew Cheeseman – Flash Dracula
Tickets £7.50
Practice your flash fiction skills by working up very short pieces that draw on the connection Dracula has to Derby. The session is led by Matthew Cheeseman, who is a Professor of Writing and Folklore at the University of Derby. Attendees of the workshop will have a publication opportunity as part of the annual Derby Dracula celebrations in May.
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Friday 21st February, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Studio 2
Angeline Trevena – Writing Haunted House Stories
Tickets £7.50
Step inside the haunted house, where the deepest fears reside. This workshop will explore the haunted house as the ultimate invasion—of sanctuary, family, and even the soul. Learn how to craft tension, atmosphere, and emotional stakes to make your tale truly unforgettable.
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Friday 21st February, 2:00pm-3:00pm
Italian Mill
Darrell Buxton – Animated Apparitions
Tickets £6.50
What was your earliest exposure to the realm of the ghostly? It's highly possible that it happened while you watched cartoons as a youngster. In 'Animated Apparitions', Darrell Buxton (editor of We Belong Dead magazine) will be your spirit guide to a world of spectral Saturday mornings and hand-drawn hauntings, examining the rich history of cartoon screen spooks, featuring Scooby-Doo, Slimer, the Funky Phantom, Casper, and many more.
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Friday 21st February, 2pm-3:00pm
Studio 1
Alex Davis workshop – Urban Folk Horror
Tickets £7.50
When we think of folk horror, our thoughts may turn to rolling fields and dark forests – but is there a place for the subgenre in the packed urban and suburban spaces of the city? In this workshop we’ll explore the ways in which we could bring folk horror into this fresh setting, with writing tips, case studies and a creative exercise.
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Friday 21st February, 2pm-3:00pm
Studio 2
Peter Ray Allison – The Tools of Writing
Tickets £7.50
How can we gain, store and recall reference information to provide greater depth to our writing? From historical archives to environmental sounds, there are a plethora of tools that can enhance the writing experience, inspire new ideas and overcome the dreaded writer’s block.
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Friday 21st February, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Italian Mill
Alex Davis – The Lost Dracula
Tickets £6.50
When Stoker’s Dracula achieved so much success upon its release in 1897, it was inevitable a big-screen version would come not long after. But before 1922’s unlicenced Nosferatu, there was 1921’s Drakula Halala – an Austrian silent movie and sadly a lost film. In this talk, Dracula Returns to Derby researcher Alex Davis will be exploring what is known about The Lost Dracula…
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Friday 21st February, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Studio 1
Charlotte Bond – Forgotten objects and suggested spaces
Tickets £7.50
Come along for this workshop where picture prompts and writing advice will help you craft microfiction or a short story based around objects, people, settings, and seasons.
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Friday 21st February, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Studio 2
Angeline Trevena – When the Dead Meet the Living
Tickets £7.50
Explore the mysteries of the afterlife, from restless and vengeful spirits to meaningful encounters with lost loved ones. This workshop will explore the significance of ghosts in your story, uncovering how they shape your world and characters, whether they are valued guides or feared omens.
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Friday 21st February, 5:00pm-6:00pm
Italian Mill
Tracey Norman - Plants, Poultices and Persecution
Tickets £6.50
Join author and historian Tracey Norman as she explores some fascinating 17th century remedies. Discover how our ancestors managed a range of ailments, from bruises to toothache. What did snails and earthworms have to do with medicine? What did they use calves' feet for? And what prompted accusations of witchcraft against some people, yet not others?
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Friday 21st February, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Italian Mill
Author Interview – Susan Stokes-Chapman
Tickets £6.50
Susan Stokes-Chapman is a bestselling author of historical fiction, known for writing specifically in the Georgian era and marrying meticulous research with rich lyrical prose.
Her debut novel Pandora was an instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into 16 languages. A loose reinterpretation of the Greek myth Pandora's Box set in eighteenth-century London, it tells the story of aspiring jewellery artist Dora Blake and her encounter with an ancient vase that her tyrannical uncle is desperately keen to keep secret. Her second novel The Shadow Key - a Gothic tale set against the mysterious Welsh landscape of 1783 - was released in April 2024. A short story collection in the vein of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer is to be published in 2025, with a third novel to follow in 2026.
Born in 1985, Susan grew up in the historic city of Lichfield before moving on to study in the coastal town of Aberystwyth, where she graduated with a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing. She lives in North West Wales, UK.
In this interview slot, we’ll be discussing Susan’s inspirations, writing process, books and more.
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Friday 21st February, 8:00pm-9:00pm
Italian Mill
Author talk – Evelyn Hollow
Tickets £6.50
Evelyn Hollow is a Scottish parapsychologist & writer. Featured in award winning BBC radio shows such as; Uncanny, The Witch Farm, and The Battersea Poltergeist. She also appears in several TV shows — Spooked Scotland, Spooked Ireland, and Uncanny. Her first book, Atlas of Paranormal Places, is out now worldwide, published by Ivy Press / Quarto.
In this interview session, we’ll be discussing Evelyn’s work as a parapsychologist and her latest release, the Atlas of Paranormal Places.
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Saturday 22nd February, 10:30am-11:30am
Italian Mill
Bringing the Supernatural Into the Modern Day Panel – Andrew David Barker, Alex Davis (chair), Megan Taylor
Tickets £5.50
When we say the words ‘ghost story’, our mind may head to crumbling old buildings and spooky mansions. But supernatural fiction has plenty to say in the modern day, and can certainly be brought into the world of 2025 – but how? In this panel, our authors will discuss examples and different approaches to help you keep your ghost stories up-to-date!
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Saturday 22nd February, 10:30am-11:30am
Studio 1
Robert Edgar – Making Your Readers Believe
Tickets £7.50
This workshop will examine how writers of ghost fiction can root their stories in ‘fact’ and/or make a connection to something deeply embedded in the psyche of the reader. These often simple but highly effective techniques serve to frame the rest of the story, confirming the status of the phantasm as ‘real’. The workshop will examine extracts of classic ghost stories, including Henry James’ Turn of the Screw and M.R. James A View from the Hill as a starting point for you to imbue your fiction with a sense of the real.
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Saturday 22nd February, 10:30am-11:30am
Studio 2
Teika Marija Smits - Ghosted
Tickets £7.50
In this workshop we’ll be talking about ghosting, rejections and bad reviews, and discussing ways of how to handle all three with courage, grace and good humour.
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Saturday 22nd February, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Italian Mill
Witchcraft in Fiction Panel – Elizabeth Lee, Tracey Norman, Tim Rideout (Chair)
Tickets £5.50
Witch Lit has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with plenty of novels and anthologies exploring and re-imagining history’s tales of witchcraft. In this panel, our authors will talk about how to best depict the idea of witchcraft in fiction and what is behind the surge in the subgenre.
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Saturday 22nd February, 12:00am-1:00pm
Studio 1
Sarah Elliott workshop – Self-Publishing 101
This session is for any aspiring authors looking to self-publish their work! In this session you will select the self-publishing path that best suits your needs, consider the pros and cons of using Amazon KDP, develop an action plan including overcoming barriers and blocks and practise writing your author bio and elevator pitch.
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Saturday 22nd February, 12:00am-1:00pm
Studio 2
Peter Haynes workshop – Weird Woods
Tickets £7.50
The woods: peaceful places of serene reflection or somewhere more sinister?
This workshop will discuss elements of space, time, purpose and aesthetic, building up techniques and perspectives on how to make your woodland writing more unsettling and haunting.
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Saturday 22nd February, 2:00pm-3:00pm
Italian Mill
The Importance of Place in the Ghost Story
Andrew David Barker, Peter Haynes, Alison Moore, Teika Marija Smits
Tickets £5.50
Setting is a crucial aspect of any ghost story – but how do you get about choosing the best location, and how can we bring out the best in it to evoke true chills in our reader? Our panel of authors will be exploring places both new and old , and how to make the most out of whatever you choose!
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Saturday 22nd February, 2:00pm-3:00pm
Studio 1
Megan Taylor workshop – Seeing Ghosts
Tickets £7.50
In this fiction workshop, we’ll consider the possibility of being surrounded by the dead, looking at the way that ghosts might actively transform your characters and their settings.
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Saturday 22nd February, 2:00pm-3:00pm
Studio 2
Alex Foulkes workshop – Chills and Thrills: Writing Horror for 9-12 Readers
Tickets £7.50
Aspiring or established children's writer? Join author Alex Foulkes for a wicked workshop on writing supernatural and monster fiction for middle-grade readers (typically 9-12 years, or KS2).
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Saturday 22nd February, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Italian Mill
Panel – Adding Tension to Supernatural Fiction
Charlotte Bond, Robert Edgar, Alison Moore, Mark Norman (Chair),
Tickets £5.50
Atmosphere is an important part of supernatural fiction – but it will only get you so far on its own! This panel will explore the ways in which you can build up tension and drama in your ghostly fiction with four exciting speakers on the topic!
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Saturday 22nd February, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Studio 1
Elizabeth Lee – Writing witches: Bringing Your Witch and Her World to Life
Tickets £7.50
In this workshop aimed at those already writing or planning to write their own witchy fiction we will discuss the role of magic, point of view, the cost of using magic and setting. You will have the chance to practice techniques to add depth and detail to your witch lit.
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Saturday 22nd February, 3:30pm-4:30pm
Studio 2
Rod Duncan Workshop –Dark Corners - How to Conjure Ghosts in the Reader's Mind
Tickets £7.50
In this workshop, we’ll explore things the text leaves unsaid – those dark corners left to be filled by the reader. We’ll try out writing techniques designed to emulate the interaction of the human eye and the visual cortex. To call it ‘hacking’ the brains of our readers would make it sound manipulative. So, let’s say we are helping them to generate a vivid and immersive experience.
Rod Duncan is the author of 12 books, including 9 novels. Being aphantasic (unable to form mental images) he has been driven to explore the ways his readers respond to visual cues in his writing. This question of the hidden world of other people’s reading experience became the subject of his PhD research, which is the basis of this workshop.
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Saturday 22nd February, 5:00pm-6:00pm
Italian Mill
Mass signing
Free for event attendees
A new addition for 2025, our mass signing brings together an exciting array of our Ghost Story Festival authors to give you the chance to get your books personalised or otherwise scribbled upon! Our bookstall will also be open throughout for any purchases.
Author list TBC
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Saturday 22nd February, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Italian Mill
Rosie Andrews – Author Interview
Tickets £6.50
Rosie Andrews was born and grew up in Liverpool, the third of twelve children. She studied History at Cambridge before becoming an English teacher. Her debut novel, The Leviathan, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, going on to become one of the bestselling debut hardbacks of 2022, and has been shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the HWA Debut Crown Award and the Books Are My Bag Readers Award for Fiction. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and daughter.
In this interview slot, we’ll be discussing Rosie’s inspirations, writing process, books and more.
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Saturday 22nd February, 8:00pm-9:00pm
Italian Mill
Zoinks! The Spooky Folklore Behind Scooby-Doo
Tickets £6.50
No matter your age, you've undoubtedly enjoyed a version of Scooby-Doo. But is what you think you know about the show true? And how accurate are the monsters and folklore portrayed? Based on his groundbreaking new book, written with input from the show's writers and producers, this fun and interactive live show from Mark Norman (The Folklore Podcast) will unmask some of the secrets of Mystery Incorporated for everyone.
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Sunday 23rd February, 10:30am-11:30am
Italian Mill
Panel – Ghost Story Anthologies
Nick Freeman, Edward Parnell,
Tickets £5.50
The haunting tradition of the ghost story anthology goes back to the days of Pan and Fontana, and is brought all the way up to date with new collections of spooky shorts emerging each year. This session will take a look at the importance and tradition of the form, as well as exploring how to put anthologies together.
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Sunday 23rd February, 10:30am-11:30am
Studio 1
Charlotte Bond workshop – How to Make a Folkloric Ghost
Tickets £7.50
Ghosts at lonely crossroads. Headless horsemen. Doomed brides. Come and see how to intertwine your ghost with landscape, folklore and tragedy, to make up a brand new ghostly legend of your very own.
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Sunday 23rd February, 10:30am-11:30am
Studio 2
Julie Malone workshop - Writing a Ghost Story: Factors to Consider
Tickets £7.50
People are scared of the unknown. What comes after death? What’s making that noise? What’s lurking in the darkness? How much are we influenced by the books we have read or the films we have seen when it comes to our own writing?
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Sunday 23rd February, 12:00pm-1:00pm
Italian Mill
Talk – Dr Sam Hirst: Revenge and Revelation: Eighteenth-Century Ghost Tales and the Gothic
Tickets £6.50
This talk explores the phenomena of eighteenth-century compendiums of ghost tales and supernatural occurrences. It introduces some of the most famous stories, looks at common tropes and types, and explores how these supposedly 'true' tales influenced the ghosts of the Gothic!
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Sunday 23rd February, 12:00am-1:00pm
Studio 1
Alex Davis – Create a Ghost
Tickets £7.50
There are a lot of starting points within the genre, and in this session we’re going to be creating our very own ghosts, and seeing just what the story might be! A fun, lively creative session for Sunday afternoon.
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Sunday 23rd February, 12:00am-1:00pm
Studio 2
Jen Clare Workshop – Something Wicked – Folk Horror Illustration Workshop
Tickets £7.50
Join artist Jen Clare for this session where, inspired by stories and folklore (and of course well-used film tropes!) you'll be creating your own folk horror themed mini comic. All materials provided.
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Saturday 22nd February, 1:30pm-2:30pm
Italian Mill
Author Interview – Edward Parnell
Tickets £6.50
Edward Parnell is the author of the narrative non-fiction 'Ghostland' (Harper Collins), shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley 2020 Award for memoir. He lives in a medieval market town in the east of England and has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. He has been the recipient of an Escalator Award from the National Centre for Writing and a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship. 'The Listeners' (2014) was his first novel, and was the winner of the Rethink New Novels Prize. Most recently he was the editor of Eiree East Anglia for the British Library’s Tales of the Weird series.
In this interview slot, we’ll be discussing Edward’s inspirations, writing process, books and more.