Spectres

This event was previously advertised as starting at 7pm. Please note the new start time of 7.30pm

Sadly, due to travel restrictions, Maaza Mengiste is no longer able to take part. We apologise for the disappointment

There are times in a film when the supporting actor steals the show, as Whoopi Goldberg did in the cult classic Ghost. Intended to remain in the background, they edge centre stage, shaping the narrative in unpredictable ways. In these three novels – Salena Godden's Mrs Death Misses Death, Maaza Mengiste's The Shadow King and Evie Wyld's Bass Rock – figures that are usually meant to be peripheral through denial, absence, erasure or pretence, haunt the narrative and invigorate already complex stories with unexpected twists and tensions. Whether based on historic events or imagined spaces, these spectres are proof of the power of psychology in making stories tick.