Susan Hill in conversation, British Library

The author of The Woman in Black , Susan Hill, joins Stephanie Merritt for a discussion about narrative, inspiration and horror-writing. Hill discusses her approach to storytelling in light of her latest work Printer’s Devil Court and is sure to shed light upon the techniques and ideas behind her haunting masterpieces.
Having been staged in the West End for 26 years and adapted into a film starring Daniel Radcliffe, The Woman in Black is the most celebrated ghost story of modern times and a favourite of old and young alike. The brooding tone of suspense is characteristic of Hill's work, including the less well known gothic horrors The Small Hand and The Man in the Picture. A veteran of 30 published works of fiction, Hill will shed light upon her sustained success and literary vigour, as well as sharing what storytelling really means to her.
Stephanie Merritt is herself an accomplished novelist, having published a number of thrillers under the pseudonym S.J. Parris, in addition to being an astute critic currently writing for The Guardian and The Observer. In conversation, Hill and Merritt will explore the most distant reaches of horror, as well as the art of writing more generally, making this a must attend for fans of the genre as well as aspiring writers.
Despite the unsettling subject-matter, Hill’s work is often popular with older children. Her absorbing narratives and vivid descriptions make her novels,  The Woman in Black in particular, a good way to engage teens with literature -- though only if they're not prone to nightmares...