Sam Fern on Writing: How to Scare Children

Sam Fern is at Blackwell's Bookshop on Wednesday 28 October, talking about how to write scary books for younger readers. It's a one-hour session, 7pm to 8pm, and it's being run by the South Bridge branch.

Fern builds the talk around two of his own titles. There's Escape Castle Dracula, his YA puzzle book, and Where the Dead Live, which draws on festivals, tombs and mythologies. He uses them as a way into the broader craft, taking the audience through pop culture, horror literature and intermediality, and the practicalities of publishing. If you've ever wondered what actually goes into a book that's meant to unsettle younger readers, this is where he opens the bonnet.

It's a talk rather than a reading, so the focus is on the process—the influences, the motivations and the practical side of writing—rather than just the stories themselves. He'll be talking through how he approaches the genre and what it takes to get a book like this onto the page and then out into the world.

Tickets are £3, or £15 if you want the ticket and a book. It runs in person at Blackwell's, 53-62 South Bridge, EH1 1YS, from 7pm to 8pm on Wednesday 28 October. There are no refunds, so it's one to commit to.