The spooky season is the busiest time of the year for gothic scholars; here are some of the Halloween events that you can catch up with the OGOM crew at between now and 31st October.
Friday 20th October: OGOM: In the Company of Wolves (online 18.00-21.30)
Thanks to everyone who joined Bill, Kaja and myself, alongside Catherine Spooner and Ivan Phillips, for In the Company of Wolves: Werewolves, Wolves and Wild Children, an OGOM online symposium and book launch. If you missed out on the symposium the book is a lively and informative read for all gothic scholars and it’s out in paperback from MUP. It’s perfect reading for Halloween; we hope you enjoy it.
Saturday 28th October: Writing the Occult: Vampires, online 1.00-21.00
I am thrilled to be part of this online event for writers and readers in the genre. Sessions include: making the vampire trope your own; vampire adaptations; the vampire as romantic lead; world-building for vampire tales and more! I am going to be presenting on the folkloric vampire and its representation in fiction. You can view the full programme and the speakers here. You can book via this Eventbrite page. Tickets £45 (until 26 October). One of the most exciting things about this event for me is that if features legendary writer Jewelle Gomez, author of The Gilda Stories (1991). Gomez is celebrated this month in The Guardian as ‘the black lesbian writer who changed vampire fiction and the world’. Hope to see you there!
Sunday 29th October: Winged Fiends, 1.30 pm Guy’s Chapel, London, SE1
I’m excited to reveal that I will be speaking on ‘Winged Fiends: The Dark Origins of the Fairy’ at this year’s London Month of the Dead Festival. The setting at Guy’s is phenomenal and ticket holders may visit the crypt below the chapel after the event. The fee of £12.00 also includes a gin cocktail & a 20% donation to the King’s Chaplaincy Trust. You can see the full abstract of my talk on the OGOM blog here. Follow this link to book
Tuesday 31st October: Monsters in the Nineteenth Century, online, 9.45-5.00
Kaja is an invited speaker at this free online event run by Durham University exploring Monsters in the Nineteenth Century through a gothic lens. She will be presenting on ‘Dracula: A Werewolf in Vampire’s Clothing’. Register here to get the Zoom link.
Whatever you are doing at Halloween have a gothtastic time!! Follow the dark fun on social media via @OGOMProject and @DrSamGeorge1 #31DaysofHalloween #OGOMWolves2023
