A ghost story for Christmas.

Mary, a new mother in a new town, seeks solace in her local park. But who is the strange woman who mirrors her lonely walks? As the winter sets in, Mary gradually begins to question her marriage, her sanity, and the hidden connections between her past and this unsettling figure in the snow. Lucy Edmiston is a writer and poet based in Manchester. Her short story 'Mothers and Daughters' was longlisted for the 2024 Motherhood Uncensored Writing Competition and is due for publication in the accompanying collection this winter. She is currently working on a haiku project.

• Written and read by Lucy Edmiston
• Music and production: Oscilloscope
• Artwork: Zoe McLean
• Series editor: Richard V. Hirst

For more information visit: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk

A ghost story for Christmas.

When Ukrainian refugee Olga moves in with the quiet, grieving Wilsons, she finds herself perturbed by the eerie stillness of their home and its strange collection of antiques. As unsettling events unfold, Olga realizes that the house holds secrets she never could have imagined. Reshma Ruia is a poet, novelist and co-founder of The Whole Kahani, a collective of British South Asian Writers. Her first novel, Something Black in the Lentil Soup, was described in The Sunday Times as ‘a gem of straight-faced comedy’. Her debut collection of poetry, A Dinner Party in the Home Counties, won the 2019 Debut Word Masala Award and her novel Still Lives won the 2023 Readers Choice Award.

• Written and read by Reshma Ruia
• Music and production: Oscilloscope
• Artwork: Zoe McLean
• Series editor: Richard V. Hirst

For more information visit levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk

A ghost story for Christmas.

A woman, unsettled by the flaws in her new home ‒ dank walls, faulty lights, strange sounds in the rain ‒ finds herself shadowed by a presence that defies logic and drives her to drastic, ritualistic acts. Is the house harbouring something both ancient and inexorable? Or is she merely losing her grip on reality?

Sophie Parkes is a writer of novels, short fiction, and music journalism with a PhD in creative writing and folklore from Sheffield Hallam University. Her historical novel Out of Human Sight (2023) was shortlisted for the NorthBound Book Award, and in 2017 she won the Arvon Award for her short stories inspired by English folk songs. She also authored the official biography of folk musician Eliza Carthy, Wayward Daughter (2012). Sophie teaches creative writing at Sheffield Hallam and Leeds Arts universities and leads community workshops through initiatives like Mossley Writers.

• Written and read by Sophie Parkes
• Music and produdction: Oscilloscope
• Artwork: Zoe McLean
• Series editor: Richard V. Hirst

For more information visit levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk