As the sun in the northern hemisphere gains strength, many of us seek the coast. Always geographically close, on this island as I am, the coast I seek is literary: Du Maurier’s sharp and unforgiving coastline, haunted by traumas past and present. Though born in London in 1907, Du Maurier is intrinsically linked to the rugged Cornish coast in my mind. The deeply atmospheric settings of Rebecca and Jamaica Inn are ones, ironically, I visited stateside. Under the Californian city sun I lapped up her deeply British, female gothic. On a trip down to Carmel-by-the-Sea, followed by the sun, the setti ..read more

The sun is shining and out from the cracks I, creaking, coughing crawl. It is Easter bank holiday Monday here in the springtime April of southern England and I offer to you my first blog post of the year. If we observe the solar calendar, which by heritage I claim, I am actually not that late at all. So, Nowruz Mobarak, Happy New Year, and let us begin… with a story. © Generally Gothic© Generally Gothic One clear, bright Monday morning I found myself – uncharacteristically – unfettered in the capital city. Exactly one week ago today, London was mine. I sardined onto the tube, leisurely, amongs ..read more

Autumn is wholeheartedly upon us. October, has been and gone. Now, nestling comfortably into the second week of November, I have a long-promised treat to share with you: a new, sneak-peek recipe from A Gothic Cookbook. On this day, 1847, Mr Abraham ‘Bram’ Stoker erupted into existence, in Dublin, Ireland. Synonymous with the gothic, Stoker is most famous for his eternal vampire story. Just like its eponymous creature, the tale of Dracula has lived many lives since Bram first released it into the world in 1897. In celebration of Bram’s birthday today, I am delighted to share with you a feast br ..read more

When Ella Buchan, co-author of A Gothic Cookbook, reached out to me, I was excited for the opportunity to test any recipe in her and Alessandra Pino’s forthcoming gothic literature-inspired cookery book. When she offered “that very special gingerbread” from Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 classic, Rebecca, it felt fated. I love ginger and Rebecca with equal intensity. Already a fan of Hitchcock’s adaptation (1940), my first encounter with du Maurier’s Rebecca occurred on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I was newly living in California. It was hot. I was homesick. I pored over Rebecca, missing c ..read more

Hello, yes, it’s really me… alive and well* and with new offerings. I shall allow a moment for the shock to wear off… Over on Instagram I recently asked whether you, dear consumer of multimedia content, preferred when I post under monthly themes or not. The majority vote was for a hybrid – a Dr Frankenstein approach, composed of a bit of this and a bit of that, hopefully resulting in some beautiful type of generally gothic monster! July has historically been themed ‘Southern Spell’. It is an ode to sunshine in the Gothic, a trip down south to the sweltering southern states of America, and to ..read more

To those who don’t follow along on Instagram and have been wondering where I’ve been, I will quickly catch you up. So far this year, I have: danced with Lolly and the devil, escaped the lab with Algernon, picnicked at Hanging Rock, witnessed Bloody torture in unending Chambers, followed Snowman seeking Crake across a desolate wasteland, heard the Crawdads Sing, felt the Ice draw closer, and the High-Rise loom higher. For three months of mostly locked down living and a Year of anything but Rest and Relaxation, I am delighted by my [incomplete] list of adventures thus far. One adventure, unlis ..read more

“[D]iscover a convergence of wonder and terror, romance and horror within its pages.” This is the introduction and invitation offered by Sara Crocoll Smith, publisher and editor-in-chief of Love Letters to Poe. In its first issue, the new gothic fiction magazine brings six short pieces together, each inspired by the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe in their own way. Launching this October, Volume 1, Issue 1 will make a fine addition to the autumnal reading lists of Poe-adoring gloomsters, spooky nerds, and seasonal readers alike. I was lucky enough to be allowed a long sneak peek – from cover ..read more

With summer somewhere between full swing and distant memory depending on where you were on the globe, in August we retreated from the sunshine of the Southern Gothic to the dimly lit cityscapes and natural wilds of 19th century Europe. As you may have read here, August was all about monsters and the monstrosity of man; last month was Of Monsters and Men. Monsters are common in gothic literature, art, architecture, and film across time and space. They come in shapes and sizes at times unknown, and at others frightening in their familiarity. One of the most well-known examples of the blurry, got ..read more

It seems rather apt that the sun is absent today, as the Southern Spell fades and a new season is welcomed in. This month is Of Monsters and Men – it is an exploration of the monstrous in gothic fictions and realities. Before I reveal The Seven Gothic Signs you can use to easily identify the gothic, I have a quick announcement. I am hosting two readalongs this month: • Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Jekyll and Hyde will run for one week, beginning today. Frankenstein will begin directly afterwards, and will run to the en ..read more

July is an ode to sunshine in the Gothic, it is a trip down south to the sweltering southern states of America, and to the effect of geography on horror. Under a Southern Spell, this month I am reading four short stories from the Southern Gothic canon, and invite you all to read along with me. Each week I will discuss the story both here and on Instagram, along with a free PDF of the text to keep things accessible. First, the foundations of the Southern Gothic were laid by Edgar Allan Poe in the ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. Then, we read race and regionalism in Zora Neale H ..read more