A festival of dark, uncanny & horror storytelling
Set within a city world-renowned for its medieval atmosphere and haunted heritage, Darkest Chapter celebrates the breadth, ambition and innovation of one of publishing’s fastest growing genres.
Programmed and delivered by National Centre for Writing and Norwich UNESCO City of Literature
In recent decades, cinema has finally caught up with just how groundbreaking, astute and profoundly human the horror genre can be. Its fans remain among the most dedicated and welcoming of any genre. Now it’s literature’s turn!
From classic archetypes like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula to the very British tradition of ghost stories at Christmas, dark and uncanny storytelling is woven into the bones of our culture.
Yet despite the frighteningly fast rise in demand for horror literature, only a handful of dedicated events take place across the UK.
Darkest Chapter will help fill a significant gap in the literary landscape — creating space to explore not only why horror endures, but how it evolves and where it may go next.
With the National Centre for Writing, an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, leading a festival devoted to the craft of horror writing for readers and writers alike, it feels like a genuine stamp of quality for the genre.
Steph McKenna, founder of Darkest Chapter and Head of Marketing & Communications at NCW
Day tickets on sale now!
A limited number of day tickets are available for events taking place at the National Centre for Writing, Dragon Hall, on Saturday 7 November.
Day ticket holders will receive:
- Wristband entry to four events*, including Ghosts in My House: Hauntings & Queer Desire with Eleanor Crewes and The Art of Foreboding: Folk Horror with Lucie McKnight Hardy & Andrew Michael Hurley
- A Darkest Chapter tote bag filled with freebies
- A complementary invitation to the Festival wrap party (8pm onwards)
*Full programme announcement coming soon!
What’s on
Evolution of Horror Presents: The Exorcist
Join The Evolution of Horror for the opening night of Darkest Chapter, Norwich’s new festival dedicated to dark, uncanny and horror storytelling.
Friday 6 November
It’s What’s Inside That Counts: Body Horror Fiction with Amy Twigg
Join Amy Twigg for a fiction-focused workshop exploring why body horror resonates so strongly today and how you can harness its power in your own work.
Saturday 7 November
