Spooky season is upon us, and we are delving into the dark depths of Gothic Literature. Come along and join the conversation!

Dark evenings cast menacing shadows. The season of howling winds, hauntings and hexes has returned. Cautionary tales of maidens, plagued by creatures that go bump in the night, told by the fireside to keep us safe. But Gothic is more nuanced than horror. It sits in a fog of unease, inviting us to walk the winding path as our minds journey through the unseen terrors of the long, cold nights.

This October, we invite you to descend into the realm of Gothic Literature.

Joining Auburn on an exploration of iconic gothic literature will be Dr Icy Sedgewick, (https://www.icysedgwick.com/about-icy-sedgwick/)author of Gothic horror and host of the Fabulous Folklore podcast, Ciara Armstrong, purveyor of the noir from her shop Blood Stone Books (https://bloodstonebooks.co.uk/), plus Neo-Gothic Specialist and friend of Sunderland Lit & Phil,Dr Steph Farnsworth-Meeks (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stephanie-farnsworth-meek-27b8882a0/). Join the conversation this October as our panel unpicks the threads of genre-defining themes and searches for the hidden doors to understand our obsession with the dark.

The evening’s performance will be spoken word by our local Prince of Darkness, The Hell Poet (https://www.instagram.com/thehellpoetcometh/). And Artist, Ollie Howard, will be displaying art inspired by the short story: The Yellow Wallpaper.

Thematic outfits are encouraged but not required.

6:30 pm Doors Open

7 - 7:50 pm Panel Discussion

8 pm Spoken Word Performance

8:15 pm Audience Discussion

Sunderland Lit & Phil CIC is a volunteer-led community organisation creating a living social archive of Sunderland. Tickets are open to everyone; our Members who support us throughPatreon (https://www.patreon.com/sunderlandlitandphilsociety) tickets are included with membership.

Description supplied by the event organiser.