Join local authors Angela Kecojevic and Sam Pope in a spine-chilling evening of creative reading and writing in this after-dark event at the Museum.

What is it that scares us? And what makes successful, hair-raising horror? In this workshop, Sam and Angela will take you through the tenets of scary writing, teaching you how to create tension, build suspense and terrify your readers.

The workshop will include readings from well-known frightening stories and a group discussion on what makes a story frightening. There will also be time to write and share your own scary stories, characters, or ideas.

Doors open at 6pm for a chance to explore the Museum after dark at the spookiest time of year. What historic items in our collections have a haunting history? From bone pavements to canine madness, take inspiration from our objects and adapt them into your own terrifying tales.

A pop-up bar will be available on the night, with one free drink included with each ticket and 10% off in the Museum shop on the night.

Fancy dress welcome!

Sam Pope is a writer, editor, children’s librarian and teacher based in Oxford. She writes fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children. Her debut YA novel, The Haunting of Lindy Pennyworth, was published in October 2021 by UCLan and was listed as one of Blackwell’s YA horror books of 2021.

Angela Kecojevic is a writer, school librarian and creative writing tutor for children who lives in Oxford. Her debut novel, Scareground, is a middle-grade children’s fiction novel and was published in September 2023. She is also working on an upcoming range of early readers for Oxford Reading Tree.