Join us for Gothic Ghosts at the Rising Sun Tavern as we take a glimpse into how a friendly challenge gave us two of the biggest influences on modern horror writing. With live readings of the Fantasmagornia, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and John Polidori’s The Vampyr, this event is sure to bring chills and thrills.
In summer of 1816, the famous poet Lord Byron hosted a small party at Villa Diodati, a mansion he rented for a time. Among the guests were poet John Polidori, writer Mary Shelley, her future husband Percy Shelley, and Mary’s stepsister, Claire Clairmont. As the night of festivities turned into an extended sleepover, Byron read Fantasmagornia to the group, a collection of German scary stories. With these works fresh in their minds, Byron proposed a challenge to his guests: scribe with their own terrifying tales. Listen to these hair raising tales by the Tavern’s evening light.
