Haunted Birmingham
Write a spooky story...
Is there a ghost lurking on your street? Or a goat at the end of your garden… no, it couldn’t be a Duppy could it? Or perhaps, just maybe, a Djinn has taken the shape of a black cat, watching you from atop the garden shed...
Haunted Birmingham is a celebration of spooky stories set in our city, in partnership with the University of Birmingham. Write your own scary stories that are set in our wonderful, but oftentimes spooky city, with a chance for your story to be featured on our social media (with your permission), alongside pieces by professional writers like Dr. Jimmy Packham, an expert in West Midlands gothic literature.
To help you get started, we've provided resources on Djinns, Duppies, story planning, and submission, along with a teacher guide for classroom activities.
Sharing stories about the places we love helps connect us to the city and each other—even when those stories are a little spooky. We're looking forward to reading your entries and celebrating our local heritage and, you - our local writers.
Haunted Birmingham will culminate in a December exhibition showcasing some of your chilling entries.
Guidance for your short story
Haunted Birmingham is open to all Birmingham residents aged 9 to 18, as well as adults. We welcome all contributions but please review the guidance pointers below before you submit your story:
- We encourage you to write a story that is scary and set in Birmingham.
- The scary stories can be completely made up, OR based on an existing spooky legend: your Gran’s anecdote of how she once saw a ghost; the Jamaican legend of the Rolling Calf, a hornless goat with the front legs of a horse and a human!
- We recommend stories of between 500 and 1500 words in length.
- If you are struggling to get started with your story, download the guidance on this page, which includes some common conventions of the horror genre, and a planning tool.
- Try to get the story in its best possible shape before submitting. This may involve writing it out once, reading and checking for errors, and then writing again.
How to submit your story
Haunted Birmingham stories should be submitted before the grim stroke of midnight (er...12pm) on 1st December 2024.
Please use this form to submit your story. If you are unable to do this, email birmingham@literacytrust.org.uk or call 07395 282 783 and we will support you.
Come along to our Haunted Birmingham Celebration
Have you written your Haunted Birmingham story? Do you want to test your terrifying tales on an apprehensive audience? Or fancy joining the audience and hearing what spooky tales some of your Birmingham residents have cooked up? Then come along to our free event on the 14 December. Click the link below for more information and to let us know you're coming.
Need some spooky inspiration? Check out our map!
Last year, we received over 300 spine-chilling stories as part of our inaugural Haunted Birmingham campaign—some of which are now featured on our Haunted Birmingham Map. Explore these eerie tales and get inspired to write your own!
