With the countdown to Halloween now on, bestselling author Caz Frear, creator of the hit Cat Kinsella series, will join fellow novelist Olivia Isaac-Henry for an evening of hair-raising storytelling and writing tips at The Hive.
Dr Charley Barnes. Authors pictured below: first, Caz Frear, then second, Olivia Isaac Henry
At the free event, on October 15 (6.30pm to 8.30pm), both authors will share excerpts from their novels and offer insights into crafting suspenseful stories to get you ready for the scariest night of the year.
Olivia is the author of suspense and crime novels, including The Verdict, Someone You Know and Sorrow Spring. Her latest novel Hallows Hill is a gothic horror novel set around Halloween. International bestselling crime fiction author Caz penned the Cat Kinsella series and her latest work is standalone thriller Five Bad Deeds.
Titled ‘Whispers in the stacks: An evening of spooky fiction’, the evening will be hosted by University of Worcester lecturer in Cultural Studies, Dr Charley Barnes.
As the author of more than 10 psychological thrillers herself, she has her own take on why we love to be scared by fiction. “I think fear is primal, it’s one of our base emotions,” said Dr Barnes. “We’re socially taught to be scared of things, we’re biologically wired for it, we understand a threat when we see one. I think writing can trigger that feeling, whether it’s horror or crime. But there’s a safety net because, even though we know we’re scared, we also know that we’re safe.”
She thinks the same is true of other formats that explore true crime, such as TV dramas and podcasts, and says that this explains their continued and increasing popularity.
For those looking to write their own scary stories or who fancy being the next big name in crime fiction, Dr Barnes advises drip feeding the information you give to the reader. “You have to give the reader enough information that they start asking questions, but not so much that they get to the right answer,” she said. “It’s the unknown that is scary.”
This event is in partnership with HarperCollins Publishers, The West Midlands Readers' Network and the University of Worcester.
Tickets are free but booking is essential. Book your ticket and find out more.
