K. A. Laity Top 5 Reads For Halloween

October! My favourite time of year: the gold orange and red leaves, pumpkins, spooky cats, and all us witches in high demand! I have loved this time since childhood and the fun of Halloween and costumes just makes it more grand.

Fave books? It’s always hard to choose but some to particularly relish this time of year: Ray Bradbury’s October Country certainly has to be essential.The weird tales in this collection run across genre borders, veering from horror to fantasy to nigh on mimetic. But all unforgettable and all seep into your memory and make a permanent home. Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is the best haunted house story ever. This is not an arguable point. You can never go wrong with anything by her. It’s hard to pick just one Clive Barker book, too, but in honour of the season I’d go with The Books of Blood, the Scream Press edition if you can get it (I have it and it’s also been signed and sketched in by the fabulous author). Then I’d reach back to the past for Poe’s collected works — needs no explanation! I’d suggest the edition illustrated by Harry Clarke. It’s certainly one of my most prized possessions. And going back even further I’d suggest getting out Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho, a good Gothic classic that’s perfect for long dark evenings by a crackling fire.

My own collection UNQUIET DREAMS has been influenced by all these classics; I hope it captures some of the same spooky vibe with its uncanny tales.