Plenty of life left in ghost stories

Sir, – I note the recent article, “Irish women ghost writers: rediscovering lost voices” (Jen Herron, Life, October 30th).

That the general reading public is not aware of particular writers does not indicate they are “lost” or “forgotten”. Indeed, the literary mode known as the ghost story has enjoyed a decades-long history of scholarship and publication, particularly in independent publishing. I point to the efforts of those such as Montague Summers, Lady Asquith, EF Bleiler, Mike Ashley, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Richard Dalby, Melissa Edmundson, Hugh Lamb, Maria Giakaniki, Janis Dawson, among others, who have devoted themselves to this field.

Publishers such as Ash-Tree, Sarob, Handheld, Tartarus, Dover, etc, have long championed women writers of the supernatural. Jen Herron will be delighted to learn that Dublin’s own Swan River Press publishes a series entitled “Strange Stories by Irish Women”. In fact, the names Ms Herron lists in her article mirrors closely the contents of our anthology, Bending to Earth, reviewed in your publication (Books, June 29th, 2019): Tynan, Carbery, Mulholland, Croker, Meade, Wilde, Graves, Shorter, Grimshaw, and the much-celebrated and decidedly not “lost” Charlotte Riddell.

While the general popularity of the ghost story may not be as pervasive as an enthusiast might wish – though less so this time of year! – it is always enjoyable to read accounts of those who discover for themselves the pleasing terrors of this established and celebrated literary tradition. – Yours, etc,