a celebration of stephen volk

What better way to see in Halloween than with a celebration of the very writer who scared the hell out of anyone who settled down on a Saturday night, All Hallows’ Eve in 1992, to watch a BBC ‘spoof’ horror programme?

Ghostwatch left an indelible mark on many, if not everyone, who experienced it and caused such tremendous shockwaves that it’s never been rebroadcast. Even 28 years later, Ghostwatch is still heralded as landmark horror television, and quite rightly so.

Yet, Stephen Volk’s career is about more than Ghostwatch alone. From the screenplay to Ken Russell’s Gothic (1986) to last year’s set of essays, Coffinmaker’s Blues, by way of the brilliant triptych, The Dark Masters Trilogy and 2011’s The Awakening, his work continues to terrify, thrill and challenge us.

Our celebration (below) features an essay on Ghostwatch, reviews of Stephen’s writing, and an interview with the man himself.

And, just before you think of leaving this page…remember, Pipes said we’ve got to stay…

No Creaking Gates, No Gothic Towers: An Interview with Stephen Volk

From watching ghosts to making coffins, Stephen Volk is rightly regarded as one of the great British horror writers. John Clewarth interviews the man about his life and work...

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A National Séance: The Unremitting Terror of Ghostwatch

Graham Williamson heads back to Halloween 1992 for the BBC's broadcast of Ghostwatch and examines how Stephen Volk's ghost story still endures despite only a single airing in 28 years...

[review] Coffinmaker's Blues

Ally Wilkes reviews Stephen Volk's most recent book, Coffinmaker's Blues, a collection of essays on 20 years of writing in the film and television industry...

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[review] Under a raven's wing

Ann Laabs reviews Under A Raven’s Wing, Stephen Volk’s collection of Sherlock Holmes prequel stories featuring Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin…

[review] The Dark Masters Trilogy

Ann Laabs delves into Stephen Volk's triumvirate of novellas featuring a grieving Peter Cushing, a very young Alfred Hitchcock, and Dennis Wheatley's mysterious summons from 'The Wickedest Man in the World'...

[review] Studio of Screams

Studio of Screams, an Amicus-style prose portmanteau featuring novellas by several authors, including Stephen Volk, is reviewed for Horrified by Paul Gorman...