Programme and line-up

FIRST FEARS - HORROR SUMMER SCHOOL 2022
Full schedule of activities

GUEST WORKSHOPS 

All guest workshops run on a Tuesday night from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Sessions will be delivered via Google Meet, with links sent out to all summer school participants prior to the session.

TUESDAY JUNE 14TH
Tim Major
Planning and Writing a Novel

Are you in the midst of writing your first novel? On the cusp of getting started? Or have you tried to begin but stalled? This workshop will explore all aspects of the novel-writing process, such as developing satisfying plots, honing your style and establishing good writing habits.

TUESDAY JUNE 21ST
Georgina Bruce
Writing Horror Short Stories

The horror short story has a long history, with luminaries including Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, MR James and many more - but writing in the form requires it own, unique approach far different from that of writing a novel. In this session, Georgina Bruce (This House of Wounds) explores how to craft great horror tales in the short form with a range of discussion points and exercises to get your creativity going.

TUESDAY JUNE 28TH
Rhiannon Ward
Atmosphere and Location

Atmosphere and setting are crucial elements of ghost stories. They draw your reader into your narrative, providing chills as the story unfolds. In this workshop, we'll look at ways to create atmosphere, looking beyond well-worn cliches into the unsettling and unexpected. Using practical exercises, we'll also consider the importance of setting and how focusing on the liminal will push your story into new territory.

TUESDAY JULY 5TH
James Brodgen
Writing Dark Fantasy

On the borders of fantasy and horror lies the hinterland of dark fantasy, a strange realm of wonder and shadows, reality and unreality - but how do we go about writing in this exciting subgenre? In this workshop, author James Brogden (The Plague Stones, The Hollow Tree, Bone Harvest) will explore the world of dark fantasy with a range of discussion points and exercises. 

TUESDAY JULY 12TH
Tracy Fahey
Writing Folk Horror Stories

Folk horror is undergoing a massive revival in film and print. This workshop offers pointers on borrowing from folklore, and understanding the tenets of folk horror to create contemporary responses. Taught by Tracy Fahey, author of the folk horror collection, New Music For Old Rituals (2018).

TUESDAY JULY 19TH
Simon Bestwick
Characterisation in Horror

Characterisation: How to fill your book with characters who'll stay with the reader. Looking at motivation, diversity and representation, dialogue, grotesquerie (when to use it and when to avoid it) and more.

THURSDAYS JUNE 16TH, JUNE 23RD, JUNE 30TH, JULY 7TH, JULY 14TH, JULY 21ST 
Feedback sessions
With Alex Davis
6:30pm-8:30pm
(Included with Gold Package and above)