We chat with author Gwendolyn Kiste about The Haunting of Velkwood, which follows three childhood friends who miraculously survive the night everyone in their suburban neighborhood turned into ghosts—perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.
Hi, Gwendolyn! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a horror author based in Pennsylvania. I’m a three-time Bram Stoker Award winner as well as a Lambda Literary Award winner, and my work frequently focuses on ghosts, body horror, and retellings, often with feminist and queer themes. My previous books include Reluctant Immortals, The Rust Maidens, and Pretty Marys All in a Row, and my newest book, which just came out, is The Haunting of Velkwood.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
GK: I’ve always loved books and storytelling. I honestly don’t think I can remember a time when I didn’t find the whole idea of writing to be such a magical thing. I’ve always loved libraries, and some of my happiest memories from childhood were times spent in both the public library as well as my school library. Books have always felt so comforting to me, so it just seemed natural to start writing my own tales when I was a kid.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree
- The one that made you want to become an author: The October Country by Ray Bradbury
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Your latest novel, The Haunting of Velkwood, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Ghosts, grief, secrets, haunted neighborhood
What can readers expect?
The Haunting of Velkwood is all about a haunted neighborhood and the three girls who escaped the night before the whole street—and everyone living there—became ghosts. Now it’s twenty years later, and one of the girls who got out finally decides to return and try to unravel the mystery of what happened two decades before. It’s a spooky tale with lots of suburban gothic vibes, complicated female friendships, and a queer romance at its heart.
Where did the inspiration for The Haunting of Velkwood come from?
I’ve always been a huge fan of ghost stories. The chance to write a ghost story of my own, especially one about a whole haunted neighborhood, seemed like such a cool possibility. I was thinking a lot about the suburban gothic, such as David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks and Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides, which led me to some great photography books from the 1970s, including Bill Owens’ Suburbia. The images of those suburban neighborhoods stayed with me, especially how they already felt a little spooky and a little haunted. From there, the idea for my own haunted suburban gothic neighborhood started to take form.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really loved creating the neighborhood in The Haunting of Velkwood. It was so much fun to come up with not just one haunted house, but a whole street of them! I also adored crafting the relationship between the main characters of Talitha and Brett in particular. They have such a complicated, difficult history, but there’s also so much love between them, and it was wonderful to be able to explore that dynamic.
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m working on finishing a novella as well as a novel. Otherwise, I’m always busy with short stories as well as short nonfiction. For my nonfiction, I write a lot about the horror genre, in particular at The Lineup, so you can always find me out there somewhere, discussing my love of ghosts, monsters, body horror, and creepy fairy tales.
Lastly, are there any releases that you’re looking forward to picking up this year?
So many! Here are just a few of them: The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls by Angela Sylvaine, The Creepening of Dogwood House by Eden Royce, Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles, and The Atropine Tree by Sarah Read.
