Who's Afraid of Shirley Jackson? – Interview & Soirée

In this lively author interview, William Jackson joins Treadwell’s owner Christina on our sofa to discuss his new novel, Who's Afraid of Shirley Jackson?

This supernatural murder mystery follows a Cambridge book group who meet at an occult bookstore called Persephone’s – based on Treadwell’s itself. Sixty years after Shirley Jackson’s death, William shares his eccentric research into bookshops, his admiration for Jackson and the creation of his novel, published by Cambridge Queer Press in solidarity with LGBTQ+ bookstores worldwide. Treadwell’s is proud to host its London premiere.

William Jackson is a cult author of LGBT horror. Famous for his cinematic writing style inspired by 1970s Amicus and Hammer horror films, his characters navigate misadventures within a homonormative world, in striking contrast to the heteronormative narratives so common in horror. His other novels include The Sugar Pit, Satan's Lamp and Shapes in the Dark.