Canterbury City of Ghost Festival 2026

At the weekend I went to the inaugural City of Ghosts festival in Canterbury which had been curated by the writer T.W. Burgess (co-screenwriter of the 2026 horror film 'Passenger'). In celebrating the anniversary and reprinting of the Canterbury based early printed ghost story 'Mrs Veal,' a full day of lectures, a panel, and performances had been put on and I hope this festival has gathered enough interest for it to become an annual event. As well as having the chance to view the original manuscript of M.R. James' 'O Whistle...' of particular interest was the talk about the new series of books showcasing the original manuscripts of M.R. James' stories by Mark Jones; Brian Corrigan delivered an excellent talk on both Dickens and James, and displayed his collection of various first editions of James' book, and I will look forward to reading his forthcoming biography on James; and the event culminated with Robert Lloyd Parry's reading of two M.R. James stories. There was also a talk and display on unquiet or cursed objects by Dan Baines (a prop maker who has worked with Guillermo del Toro), with a few items also on display. This talk somehow provided too much for one gentleman and when the topic veered onto Ouija boards, the gentleman left, loudly proclaiming that the subject was dangerous and we all should be ashamed of ourselves. I wonder if all the attendees now count as a cursed audience?!

Wednesday 7th October 2026