After Hours at Dove Cottage: Gothic Hauntings

A spellbinding evening of Gothic tales in candlelit Dove Cottage. Discover the origins of modern horror and fantasy fiction in this bewitching storytelling event. This time the theme is GHOSTS: the uncanny hauntings and unforgettable spectres to be found in Gothic fiction, from the genre’s beginnings in the 1760s all the way through to the mid-1800s. The evening begins with a themed tour of Ghost Story! Into the Gothic Imagination. Find out how 18th century ghost stories influenced the most famous works of Gothic fiction, and learn about some of the iconic ghosts found in the novels of Horace Walpole, Emily Brontë and Charles Dickens. After exploring the exhibition, gather around the hearth in Dove Cottage for performed readings from some of these uncanny tales, including A Christmas Carol, The Castle of Otranto, Wuthering Heights and traditional Cumbrian ghost stories.