Ghost Stories For Hex-mas
Image: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
‘Tis the season for ghost stories…
Gathering round the fire to share spine-tingling tales — a winter tradition popularized in Victorian England — is a seasonal staple at House at Leaves.
As a wee thank you for being part of our Undead Community during the past year, we’ve compiled some of our favorite winter ghost stories for your listening pleasure…
We hope you’ll enjoy them as part of a magical Jólabókaflóð (‘Yule book flood’); this Icelandic tradition, which involves exchanging books on Christmas Eve before sharing stories, space, and sweets with loved ones, is a beautiful continuation of this communal custom — a celebration of companionship, (horror) books, and the joy and restorative power of reading.
(Read our previous Jólabókaflóð blog posts for tips on how to celebrate on any budget (including none!), how to wrap bookish gifts like a pro, and how to curate the perfect reading experience!)
And in the spirit of giving books, we’re donating 20% of all sales from the month of December (which will be matched by our founders — the final amount will be donated when our shop closes on Thursday 19 December) to the charity BookTrust — the UK's largest children's reading charity, whose mission is to get children from low-income and vulnerable family backgrounds reading regularly and by choice.
As a small business, we couldn’t have done this without you: your support has meant that we are able to pass on the magic of reading to vulnerable children, a gift that lasts beyond the holidays as many children will be able to call a book their own for the first time.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to 2025 and the next chapter of HoL…
Until then, we hope you have a restful and restorative holiday — as always, take care out there and stay spooky!
Rebecca, Valeska, Jessica & Ryan
“The Spirit At One’s Elbow”: Christmas Ghost Stories
Image: Bunworth Banshee, Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, by Thomas Crofton Croker, 1825
Since the Victorian Era, many have enjoyed the spine-tingling tradition of sharing supernatural tales under the glow of holiday lights…
As we move into the coldest and darkest time of the year, what better way to celebrate than by sharing a ghost story?
And not just any ghost story, but one perfect for fans of found footage horror, “presented as a real live outside broadcast, much in the way that the later War of the Worlds and Ghostwatch were executed.”
One believed lost to time until 2014, when author Reggie Chamberlain-King uncovered Denis Johnston’s script “Not One Returns To Tell” in the archives at Trinity College, Dublin.
Originally aired in Northern Ireland on Christmas Eve 1937, Johnston’s treat-or-trick ghost story was told “with the intention of giving [listeners] a good Christmas scare.” This was a full ten months before Orson Welles’ infamous “The War Of The Worlds” radio broadcast…
What inspired and connected these two trans-Atlantic radio hoaxes?
Chamberlain-King explores this question in Filtered Reality, our love letter to found footage horror.
Read on for an extended excerpt from his brilliant chapter, “The Spirit At One’s Elbow: Denis Johnston, Orson Welles And Interrupted Radio,” which sets the scene for Johnston’s play…
If you’re dying to read on, there’s still time to grab your (numbered first-edition) copy of Filtered Reality ahead of the holidays…
As the nights get darker, romanticize your reading with our Book + Burn Collection — let the intoxicating aroma of our exclusive Blair Witch-themed candle transport you to the woods of Burkittsville this winter…
And if you want to create the ultimate (spooky and cozy) reading experience, we have a couple of our seasonal Writual sets left…
Inspired by the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð (‘Yule book flood’), which involves exchanging books each Christmas Eve, and the British love of winter holiday horror, our festive, reader-focused Book Night(mare) Before Hex-mas Collection has everything you need to create the perfect cozy evening by the fire. 🌲
