This year some fourteen of the active members of the BCWG (Barnard Castle Writing Group) will once again venture forth and produce a follow up anthology volume of ghost stories. We intend to keep the tradition going of printing an anthology at least every two years.
These stories were written as part of an exercise that was put to the members of the BCWG late in 2024. Inspired by the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories around Christmas and epitomised by one of the greatest yuletide ghost stories “A Christmas Carol” it seemed an appropriate task for the members.
Some struggled with the project as it was very much outside of their “Wheelhouse” but we all persevered and met in December to read our works to each other – Appropriately by candlelight!
Suitably hushed we each tried to stay within our time constraint (about 5 minutes maximum) some failed, others came in well below.
A magical evening ensued with stories from many different genres and even poetry to add to the mix.
Early in 2025 discussion within the group prompted thoughts of how we could produce the next anthology of works to follow up the BCWG’s – “Voices of Barnard Castle”. This had been published in 2023, it was then suggested that we already had a body of work so the anthology was born.
From writing exercise to published item, it will be a learning curve and the group will benefit from the task in so many ways.
So, we intend to have the volume in print later this year. Hopefully so it can be a Christmas gift much like Dickens offered in his own slim volume self-published back in 1843.
Members of the BCWG
(Image is an etching for “Kipling Hall” one of the stories)
Barnard Castle Writing Group 