On 11th March, Hatchards hosted a live event bringing together four of the authors who contributed stories to These Our Monsters : Sarah, Moss, Fiona Mozley, Edward Carey and Graeme Mcrae Burnet. I chaired the event, and recorded it for posterity. ----more----

Posterity has arrived now. The event began with readings by each writer. Here, Sarah Moss reads from her story, 'Breakyneck'. Having chosen Berwick Castle as her English Heritage location, Sarah tells a ghost story that excavates the site's violent past - above all, the pitiless exploitation of Irish workers drafted to build the 19th century railway line.

These Our Monsters is a collection of modern folktales to be published by English Heritage, and featuring work by Edward Carey, Graeme Mcrae Burnet, Fiona Mozley, Sarah Hall and many others - including an introduction written by me.

Sarah Moss's website is: https: sarahmoss.org

For more information on These Our Monsters, visit the English Heritage website, where you can also buy a copy.

The music on the podcast is Androids Always Escape by Chris Zabriskie.

Last year I was asked to write an introduction for a collection of modern folktales to be published by English Heritage. ----more----

The result was These Our Monsters, featuring work by Edward Carey, Graeme Mcrae Burnet, Fiona Mozley, Sarah Hall and many others.

I talked to three of the authors for This Writing Life podcast. The third is Graeme Macrae Burnet, whose brilliant His Bloody Project was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

Graeme's 'The Dark Thread' tackled the most infamous, and perhaps the trickiest story in the book - Bram Stoker's visit to Whitby in 1890, which is often thought to have been a turning point in the composition of Dracula.

Graeme reads an early passage in the story, which shuttles fluently between the atmospheric setting of Whitby Abbey and Stoker's inner turmoil - his exhaustion, strained marriage, and tortured relationship with the actor Henry Irving.

Our interview will follow, as will readings by and conversations with Graeme Macrae Burnet and Edward Carey.

Graeme's website is: graememacraeburnet.com

For more information on These Our Monsters, visit the English Heritage website, where you can also buy a copy.

The music on the podcast is Androids Always Escape by Chris Zabriskie.

Last year I was asked to write an introduction for a collection of modern folktales to be published by English Heritage. ----more----

The result was These Our Monsters, featuring work by Edward Carey, Graeme Mcrae Burnet, Fiona Mozley, Sarah Hall and many others.

I talked to three of the authors for This Writing Life podcast. The second is Fiona Mozley, whose debut novel Elmet was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

Fiona's story in 'The Loathly Lady' was inspired by the Arthurian legend of Dame Ragnelle, supposedly the most hideous woman in the world who makes a trial of Sir Gawain's chivalry. The plot is a quest to find a different sort of holy grail: the answer to the question, 'What do women want?'

Fiona reads an early passage full of puns and plays on words that establish Arthur's legendary status. Our interview will follow, as will readings by and conversations with Graeme Macrae Burnet and Edward Carey.

For more information on These Our Monsters, visit the English Heritage website, where you can also buy a copy.

The music on the podcast is Androids Always Escape by Chris Zabriskie.