They thought Terror had died... Is it really so long since I blogged? I guess I've been too busy living. What with the university and organising the revival of the Terror Scribes, there hasn't been time to sugar my tea (luckily I don't take sugar).
What are Terror Scribes, I hear you ask. They are an eclectic group of readers, writers, artists, editors and publishers with an interest in horror fiction. Gatherings used to take place all over England and Wales (though we never managed to break into Scotland), open to all and without charge. The events became a little more sophisticated as time went on, but then life intervened and the momentum was lost. Eventually they faded, along with much of the small press that had nurtured members.
Recently one of the founding fathers, John B. Ford lost his wife after a long illness. I rang him to convey my condolences and we fell to talking about old gatherings, of which Lynn his wife was a vibrant part. He mentioned that he would really love to attend a gathering in Leicester and see everyone again. Leicester was one of the last venues and was extremely successful in delivering lots of enjoyment and conviviality to those attending. It was also the day my much loved dog Misty came to live with us (I think her story is on this site somewhere). Without giving myself time to think, I promised to organise one and did so.
It took place a couple of weeks ago and was again a success. We raised money for charity with a raffle of signed books and other memorabilia, heard authors read their work and went for a curry. Some members continued the evening by checking out local public houses and discovered the existence of Tanky Smith, Leicester's first private detective, who earned enough to pay an architect to create Top Hat Terrace, a row of houses near the city centre sporting likenesses of the detective in his most successful disguises. I'm using his story in a piece I'm working on for university (that's great fun, by the way - so glad I decided to do the degree).
More gatherings have since been planned and the Terror Scribes are loose once more.
Beware, they may visit your town........ even an ocean may not stop them.
