Culture in Norwich: Darkest Chapter

Culture in Norwich: Darkest Chapter

Norwich is a fine city. It’s also a literary city. England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, in fact. 

And as home to the National Centre for Writing, you can expect a whole host of bookish celebrations, workshops and events throughout the year. Their latest? The inaugural Darkest Chapter festival! 

Showcasing all things horror, this is a celebration of the gothic, the dark and the uncanny. Taking place on 6 & 7 November, Darkest Chapter invites us to immerse ourselves in literature’s fast-growing genre, whether you love to read, write or tell stories. 

Here, Head of Marketing & Communications (and programmer for Darkest Chapter), Steph McKenna, tells us more about the festival’s anticipated first year.

Image: National Centre for Writing

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For those of us who don’t know, Darkest Chapter is set to be Norwich’s newest festival, brought to the city by the National Centre for Writing. Tell us more. 

Darkest Chapter is a new, annual book festival for Norwich, dedicated to dark, uncanny, gothic, and horror storytelling. It was born out of my own passion for horror literature and from witnessing the explosion in popularity of this genre in the past few years. Horror is one of the fastest-growing areas of UK publishing, and it produces some of the most innovative and boundary-publishing creative writing today. 

Despite the genre’s popularity across books, film, television, and theatre, there are surprisingly few dedicated literary events for horror readers around the country. At the National Centre for Writing, we’ve seen first-hand the appetite for this kind of work through our events programme. It felt like the right moment to create something bigger, and Norwich feels like the perfect setting for a festival of this kind! 

With its medieval streets, dozens of churches and graveyards, and tales of Black Shuck stalking our coastline, this is a landscape steeped in stories of mystery and unease. Darkest Chapter aims to celebrate that tradition while bringing together some of the most exciting contemporary voices working in the genre today.

Why is it important for Norwich (and beyond) to celebrate horror as a literary genre? 

Humans have been telling each other scary stories since the beginning of our time on this earth! They are a vehicle for exploring our anxieties and fears, wrestling with social and political issues, and stepping into experiences beyond our own…all whilst delivering a good thrill. At its best, the genre helps us make sense of the world around us. 

Across the East of England, we have a particularly strong connection to this tradition. Our landscapes have inspired centuries of folklore and supernatural storytelling. M.R. James, widely regarded as one of the greatest ghost story writers in English literature, spent much of his life in Suffolk and set some of his most memorable stories here. Today, communities like Norfolk Folklore Society and the East Anglian Museum of Witchcraft continue to celebrate that heritage through events, research, and storytelling. 

Horror is just one strand of the East of England’s incredible literary culture, but it’s a significant one. Darkest Chapter is an opportunity to celebrate that heritage, champion contemporary writers working in the genre, and establish Norwich as a leading destination for readers and writers who are drawn to darker stories.

What events can we expect on the day itself? Is there anything I can’t miss?  

We’re kicking off with a special screening of William Friedkin’s classic horror film, The Exorcist, at Cinema City on Friday 6 November. This is in partnership with The Evolution of Horror, the UK’s #1 horror podcast, and 3AM Books, Penguin’s new horror imprint who are releasing a beautiful new edition of William Peter Blatty’s book in time for Halloween. There will be a giveaway, book signings, and a chance to mingle after the event. It’s not to be missed! 

I’m also really looking forward to our event with graphic novelist and writer Eleanor Crewes called ‘Ghosts in My House: Hauntings & Queer Desire’, on Saturday 7 November at 1pm. Ghost stories are my favourite subgenre and I love to experience classic tropes like the haunted house in new settings – in this case, Eleanor’s book explores themes of identity, desire, and queerness in graphic novel form. 

We’re also hosting a wrap party on the Saturday evening, featuring music from local DJs Bloghaus, themed cocktails, and storytelling by some special guests. We have released a very limited number of tickets for this, so snap one up now if you’d like to celebrate with us!

Do I need to enjoy horror writing to go? 

One of the joys of horror is just how diverse it is. The genre encompasses a huge range of styles and themes, which means there’s truly something for everyone! You certainly don’t need to consider yourself a horror fan, or an expert in the genre, to join us. 

The horror community is known for being welcoming, open and inclusive, and that’s very much the spirit we want to capture with the festival. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or simply intrigued by a good spooky story, we’d love to see you there!

As the leading force for Darkest Chapter, where does your personal love of horror stem from? 

I’ve loved scary stories for as long as I can remember and that fascination has shaped so much of my life, influencing the books and films I love, my studies at university, and many of my professional and creative interests. 

I’ve always been passionate about the power of arts and culture to examine social and political anxieties, speak truth to power, and build empathy by exposing us to different perspectives and experiences. For me, horror is one of the genres that does this most effectively.

Which titles should I consider to introduce horror into my ‘to-be-read’ pile? 

If you wanted to dig into some ‘classics’, I’d recommend The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and for something subtly uncanny, After Midnight: Thirteen Chilling Tales for the Dark Hours by Daphne du Maurier. 

If you haven’t given Stephen King a try before, start with Salem’s Lot or The Shining. 

For more contemporary favourites, I’d recommend Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist and Things We Lost in the Fire by Marian Enríquez (translated by Megan McDowell). Some of my most recent, top-rated reads are Old Soul by Susan Barker and Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm.

Finally, do you have any plans for the future of Darkest Chapter? 

Oh yes! We plan for Darkest Chapter to become an annual fixture at National Centre for Writing and a favourite gathering place for horror fans across the UK (and beyond).  

I’d love to collaborate with more artists and publishers, showcase East of England-specific writing talent, celebrate literature in translation, and introduce some events for young people who are starting to find their footing in the genre.  

Sign up to the NCW e-newsletter for festival updates and be sure to snap up one of the remaining tickets for this year’s Darkest Chapter. We’d love to have you! 

Darkest Chapter takes place on 6 & 7 November 2026. It is programmed and delivered by National Centre for Writing and Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, proudly sponsored by The Evolution of Horror, and supported by 3AM Books, The Book Hive, and Vinosangre. Book tickets to the event via the National Centre for Writing website.

Steph McKenna is a cultural critic, podcaster and editor based in Norwich with a specialism in horror film and literature. She is the host of The Writing Life podcast and co-host of Fresh Blood from The Evolution of Horror, the UK’s #1 Horror podcast, where she leads on the latest book releases and interviews horror authors. She is the Head of Marketing & Communications at the National Centre for Writing and Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, where she programmes Darkest Chapter.