Stacey Halls and Susan Stokes-Chapman to contribute a short story to THE WITCHING HOUR

It was announced today in The Bookseller that Stacey Halls and Susan Stokes-Chapman will be contributing a short story to The Witching Hour, an anthology of ghost stories created by thirteen authors. Editorial director at Sphere, Rosanna Forte, acquired world rights for publication in hardback in October 2025. Every story will follow the anthology’s theme, which is to explore"the hour after midnight, or the 13th hour, which in folklore is said to be the time when strange things roam the earth". 

In addition to Susan and Stacey’s stories, The Witching Hour will feature new tales from Bridget Collins, Elizabeth Macneal, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Stuart Turton, Andrew Michael Hurley, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Michelle Paver, Natasha Pulley, Jess Kidd, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and Catriona Ward. The Witching Hour is part of a series of annual short story collections that currently include The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits. Collectively, these anthologies have sold over 100,00 copies across all formats.

Rosanna Forte told The Bookseller, "these anthologies have become an annual highlight of my publishing calendar. It is a real privilege to work with such an array of superb authors and their wonderful agents, as well as the fantastic team at Little, Brown, on a project that fosters such a sense of collaboration and creativity. I’ve loved seeing readers connect with the books too, finding new pleasure in a centuries-old tradition".

Congratulations, Stacey and Susan!