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The Ghost Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
Back in 2012 I had the fine fortune to write a section of an anthology horror play called The Hallowe’en Sessions, which had a run in the West End in London. I worked with fellow writers Kim Newman, Anne Billson, Sean Hogan, Paul McAuley, and Stephen Volk, Well, the creative sparks behind that production now have another stellar horror portmanteau play scheduled for 2016: The Ghost Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore. Featuring segments written by acclaimed authors Christopher Fowler, Lynda E. Rucker, Stephen Gallagher, Lisa Tuttle, Robert Shearman, and Kim Newman, alongside a wraparound story by director Sean Hogan. Remember those horror portmanteau movies of the past, such as Tales from the Crypt, From…
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bank holiday
Bank holidays don’t really mean much to freelancers. Other than there’s usually extra people in your house, and the post doesn’t get delivered. I’ve been working all weekend on a project that’s nearing its conclusion, and I’m in the awful push at the end which involves the application of willpower and determination over fatigue. And I’m doing it without coffee! I never thought the day would dawn. While I’m all in favour of discipline and schedules when it comes to writing – it’s a profession like any other – there’s a delicate balance between guiding your imagination towards the gate in a gentle fashion (think of sheep herding), and unleashing…
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Halloween in London
I’m off to London today, and tomorrow I’ll be attending the première performance of The Hallowe’en Sessions in the Leicester Square Theatre. It’s a rather surreal experience to type those words. The effect of writing is often only felt many months (or years) after you have gestated and laboured over an idea. Due to the passage of time these projects can become rather abstract, especially as you continue to work on other stories. Then, whosh, it manifests suddenly as a concrete form, and you come to the work as fresh as everyone else (except with way more nervousness). Tickets have been selling well, and the closing night performance, and Hallowe’en…
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Hallowe'en Sessions update
I’m back from FrightFest in London, my annual pilgrimage to sample the best (and sometimes, the worst) of horror cinema being made in the world today. While there I was lucky to meet up with most of my co-conspirators for The Hallowe’en Sessions: writers Kim Newman, Paul McAuley, Anne Billson, writer/director Sean Hogan, and producer Josh Saco. Alas, I didn’t get to see Stephen Volk on this trip. It turns out there will be a horror festival going on in London at the end of October, and The Hallowe’en Sessions is being folded into this wonderful mix. It’s called The 13th Hour Horror Festival, and here’s the brochure for it,…