Haunted Book Club with Gav Cross & John Reppion

Our live Haunted Book Club Chat for Lost Hearts by MR James A super spooky affair that might have got the highest scores so far for levels of scare, spook and satisfaction… Join us on Tuesday the 22nd of September at 9pm where we will be discussing: The Well by WW Jacobs Gav’s version of the reading will drop on this feed soon but as it’s a story he read earlier this year it’s already on his youtube feed HERE: Very exciting that Moore & Reppion’s collection of MR Jamesadaptations have been collected are is being republished soon! Ghost Stories of an Antiquary: The Compendium Let us know what you think! John Reppion & Gav Cross September 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav: https://gavcross.co.uk/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Join us on Tuesday 15th of September, live on Substack for the Haunted Bookclub with this CLASSIC of the genre. Lost Hearts by MR James CLICK HERE for a free online version of the text, Gav can read it to you but there are many versions to listen too. Gav & John are fans of the MR James master Robert Lloyd Parry and Nunkie. Seek him out! Let us know what you think! John Reppion & Gav Cross September 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav: https://gavcross.co.uk/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Our live Haunted Book Club Chat for The Five Senses. by Edith Nesbit In which Gav discussed his undying love for EN and John had a much more rounded and thoughtful series of responses and guides. Join us on Tuesday the 15th of September at 9pm where we will be discussing: Lost Hearts by MR James Gav’s version of the reading will drop tomorrow as this is a little behind! Let us know what you think! John Reppion & Gav Cross September 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav: https://gavcross.co.uk/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The first returning author and it is a particular favourite. Definitely not for railway children… The Five Senses by Edith Nesbit on Tuesday 1st September. LIVE HERE AT 9PM I couldn't find a text version online, but obviously as usual I have read it for you here or you can use our podcast for the audio only version. See you there! Now we have decided to continue with the haunted book club we need suggestions of stories and feedback. CLICK HERE! We can’t wait to see you Book Clubbers. Stay creepy!* John Reppion & Gav Cross August 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav: https://gavcross.co.uk/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The one with the new set up where John & Gav are together at last… People didn’t find it as scary as we did… but boy was it satisfying… (Top Tip: Don’t do the washing up whilst listening…*) We scored it: Scare Factor: 3/5 Creep Factor: 4/5 Satisfaction: 4.5/5 Next week will be: The Five Senses by Edith Nesbit Then we will pick a few for the next few weeks from the list we’ve been given. You can add to that by clicking here. Thank you for all the joining in, support, likes and shares. It really does help us! Gav & John *You do you. We would never tell you what to do! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

We are back on the Tuesday train. Tuesday 14th of August is when we will have the chat for the next haunted book club. And of course it is: The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood It should be Live HERE on the night. If you click the title above it will take you through to a free version online for you to read all of course course you can listen to Gav read it to you. Not just here but also on the podcast apps. A hugely popular story and the genre I bet it is in the collection you have. We are also looking at The Five Senses by Edith Nesbit on Tuesday 1st September. We had the loveliest time at the fantastic Wyrd Wyrale event at Bidston Observatory. Where you there? You should DEFFO go next year! We had a lovely time! Now we have decided to continue with the haunted book club we need suggestions of stories and feedback. CLICK HERE! We can’t wait to see you Book Clubbers. Stay creepy!* John Reppion & Gav Cross August 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav: https://gavcross.co.uk/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

NOTE: at the beginning there is a technical blip where the camera we intended to use gave up the ghost… the ‘vision’ element disappears for a short while. So it was filmed on the backup laptop camera throughout. A reference and ready recording of a delightful evening! What a treat it was to be joined by Haunted Book Clubbers in person and online. But a special big thanks to Richard MacDonald the keeper of the keys. The Wavertree Lock-Up is an iconic heritage building in Liverpool that few people actually get access to. It is rare to host an actual event beyond an open day within this stoic building. We were joined by people who have been passing and meeting at the lock up for decades and we noticed how people would stop and look as the doors opened a local takeaway owner who had been in the area for a very long time had never seen inside and had to come over for a look. You can join the Wavertree Historical Society here for £5! A successful meet up and post performance debrief in The Coffee House pub aside, we had a fantastic evening. “Good story choice. It was fun getting together & chatting. Great reading Gav. Johns’ perspective is always great as he picks up on things I never would have noticed.” With an ancient dust tumbling off of the walls, Gav read the seemingly appropriate: The Tower by Marghanita Laski. John followed with his usual insights and fantastic understanding of this endlessly entertaining genre. And then we had what we have grown to love, delightful conversation with lovely people. Thoughtful, kind, funny and friendly. The more times we run these book clubs live the more we realise what smashing people we have supporting it. “Made it feel very welcome. Wonderful reading, nice group, great location.” Let us know what you think. Your comments help but are also lovely to get. Stick around for imminent updates of online book clubs. We have one more live confirmed gig on the 1st of August with Wyrd Wirral and we have several lover autumn life gigs bubbling under… Do you have an interesting space for a lovely group of people? A lovely group of people who would like a friendly chat about supernatural stories… Get in touch! Gav & John June 2026 “Great personal feel being able to discuss our thoughts.” Subscribe here to get updates, tell your friends, you can subscribe for audio only versions on all your podcast places or YouTube. And our socials are here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub Thank you eejits , Rachael Prime , Claire Faulkes , and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Scores are getting even higher as this turned out to be very popular Story. And for very good reason. We scored it: Scare Factor: 4/5 Creep Factor: 4/5 Satisfaction: 4/5 The fact that it is still vaguely unknown that she did baffles us. It is always a treat to come together on a Tuesday with the book clubbers and we can’t wait to bring the book club to life live at The Portico & Bloomimh Skull Coffee soon! Details here. Tickets for the secret gig discussed in The conversation are available. If you want that link, send me a message! Tickets will be very limited and free! Plus, we announced an exclusive event for book clubbers only in June… Next week whilst John takes a bit of a pause to get on with some life Gav will be reading a story every Tuesday at 9 pm live… We are still looking for suggestions of stories to bring to the book club. You can add to that by clicking here. Thank you for all the joining in, support, likes and shares. It really does help us! Gav Thank you Linnhe Harrison , Jude Wilde , Josie Ray , Annie , and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Thanks for reading Gav Cross: Storyteller! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

We are back on the Tuesday train. Tuesday 14th of April is when we will have the chat for the next haunted book club. And of course it is: The Red Room by H.G. Wells If you click the title above it will take you through to a free version online for you to read all of course course you can listen to Gav read it to you. Not just here but also on the podcast apps. A hugely popular story and the genre I bet it is in the collection you have. This version is from Gav's previous project where he read supernatural stories on a Monday evening and anybody who has come over from that knows that HG Wells is an obsession for him. See you at the end of this post for details… Don't forget, we are very soon to be live at The Portico Library: Coming up on Substack and beyond we have: May 14th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell May 22nd: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Blooming Skull Coffee - Link to follow soon. Now we have decided to continue with the haunted book club we need suggestions of stories and feedback. CLICK HERE! John Reppion & Gav Cross April 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub Shairing this helps us bring our kinda wierdos to the Haunted Book Club! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

One of the highest rated of the stories so far. There there is a reason that Edith Nesbitt is so highly regarded as a writer of weird and supernatural fiction. We scored it: Scare Factor: 3/5 Creep Factor: 4/5 Satisfaction: 4/5 The fact that it is still vaguely unknown that she did baffles us. It is always a treat to come together on a Tuesday with the book clubbers and we can't wait to bring the book club to life live at Norton Prairie this weekend. Saturday, the 18th of April. Ticket Link And then off to the Portico Library, Manchester. Details here. Plus, we announced an exclusive event for book clubbers only in June… Next week will be: The Red Room by HG Wells Then we will pick a few for the next few weeks from the list we've been given. You can add to that by clicking here. Thank you for all the joining in, support, likes and shares. It really does help us! Gav & John (Gav would like to apologise for the Gyles B themed contribution to the ‘After Live’… Thank you Chris Williams , Jude Wilde , Josie Ray , and many others for tuning into my live video with John Reppion ! Join me for my next live video in the app. Thanks for reading Gav Cross: Storyteller! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

We are back on the Tuesday train. Tuesday 14th of April is when we will have the chat for the next haunted book club. And of course it is: Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit If you click the title above it will take you through to a free version online for you to read all of course course you can listen to Gav read it to you. A hugely popular story and the genre I bet it is in the collection you have. This version is from Gav's previous project where he read supernatural stories on a Tuesday evening and anybody who has come over from that nose that he holds Edith in a special place for many reasons. Don't forget, we are very soon to be live at Norton Priory : Coming up on Substack and beyond we have: April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 18th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory - Runcorn May 14th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell May 22nd: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Blooming Skull Coffee - Link to follow soon. Now we have decided to continue with the haunted book club we need suggestions of stories and feedback. CLICK HERE! Gav & John April 2026 Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub Shairing this helps us bring our kinda wierdos to the Haunted Book Club! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The fourth Haunted Book Club and we threw ourselves into the horror horn stew and dumplings* that is ‘Spinach’ by E.F. Benson. It is fair to say from the gecko that both of us are fans of Benson. And hedging our bets it was an easy one to include him in our first run. Featuring recurring themes of cousins and the such like this seemed to be a favoured story. We aggregated the scores. Oh yeah. We scored it. Scare Factor: 1.5/10 - not generally seen as scary whatsoever! Creep Factor: 2/5 - it required a couple of readings in certain places for clarity and for some it just was not creepy at all. Satisfaction: 4/5 - we are not always going to agree and there was a wide range of responses for this one but overall probably not the book club’s favourite yet. You should have a listen and decide for yourself. You missed ‘The AfterLive’. The Substack exclusive and cut section of the HBC. You have to be here live to be part of that… The next Haunted Book is 9pm, Tuesday 14th of April. Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit Our version of that will drop on your feed next week. Get listening or reading! April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 18th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory, Runcorn - The Curfew by Lucy M.Boston May14th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell May 22nd: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Blooming Skull Coffee, Bebington, Wirral - Link to follow Did you spot the Live LIVE? That’s right - you can sot with us in the same wonderful and atmospheric space that is Norton Priory or the Portico Library. We will still do the reading for you but you can join in live with like minded pals and us! Phew - that is a lot to take in. We know! Thank you again. Don’t turn around… (No, that still doesn’t feel quite right as a catchphrase either. We should workshop it). Now we have decided to continue with the haunted book club we need suggestions of stories and feedback. CLICK HERE! Gav & John March 2026 * you will just have to listen for an explanation… Thank you Chris Williams , Josie Ray , Annie , dean mcleod , and many others for tuning into my live video with John Reppion ! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Spinach By E.F. Benson We genuinely look forward to the conversation that we have with you Book Clubbers. We look forward to knowing that you will tell us straight if you think the story is ‘Woo Hoo!’ or ‘Boo Hoo…’ REMINDER: The chat will take place on Monday the 30th at 9 pm instead of the usual Tuesday. Put it in your diary now with a reminder, we wouldn’t want to miss you. You can close your eyes and hopefully enjoy this reading by Gav. Or you can take your copy off the shelf. Here is a link to the text online: Spinach BY E.F. Benson ON GUTENBERG And then on the 30th of March at 9 pm, we will reconvene for the book club itself. John brings his expertise. Gav brings his enthusiasm and the questions to hide the fact that he doesn’t know as much as people think he does and hopefully you will be there to join in the conversation live on Substack: Link to Haunted Book Club on Substack But don’t worry if you can’t make it and you subscribe you will get that conversation drop into your inbox or Podcast player soon afterwards. Coming up on Substack and beyond we have: March 30th: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 18th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory - Runcorn May 14th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell May 22nd: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Blooming Skull Coffee - Link to follow soon. Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub Gav Cross & John Reppion This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The third Haunted Book Club and we dipped out toe in the crossover World between ghost and weird fiction and legit literature. The Pulitzer Prize winning Edith Wharton and The Eyes. Featuring a wide range of responses and a shocking moment when a cork self pops… The haunted book club continues into the darkness. We aggregated the scores. Oh yeah. We scored it. Scare Factor: 0.9/10 - not generally seen as scary whatsoever! Creep Factor: 1.5/5 - it required a couple of readings in certain places for clarity and for some it just was not creepy at all. Satisfaction: 2/5 - we are not always going to agree and there was a wide range of responses for this one but overall probably not the book club's favourite yet. You should have a listen and decide for yourself. You missed ‘The AfterLive’. The Substack exclusive and cut section of the HBC. You have to be here live to be part of that… The next Haunted Book is 9pm, Monday 30th of March. Spinach by EF Benson Our version of that will drop on your feed next week. Get listening or reading! Mar 23rd: The Story - Spinach by EF Benson March 30th: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 18th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory, Runcorn - The Curfew by Lucy M.Boston May14th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell May 22nd: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Blooming Skull Coffee, Bebington, Wirral - Link to follow Did you spot the Live LIVE? That’s right - you can sot with us in the same wonderful and atmospheric space that is Norton Priory or the Portico Library. We will still do the reading for you but you can join in live with like minded pals and us! Phew - that is a lot to take in. We know! Thank you again. Don’t turn around… (No, that still doesn’t feel quite right as a catchphrase either. We should workshop it). Gav & John March 2026 Thank you eejits , Jude Wilde , Claire Pitt , Clare Satsuma , Rachael Prime , and many others for tuning into my live video with John Reppion ! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The Eyes By Edith Wharton We genuinely look forward to the conversation that we have with you Book Clubbers. We look forward to knowing that you will tell us straight if you think the story is ‘Woo Hoo!’ or ‘Boo Hoo…’ It was boo-hoo tonight as the full recording made fresh failed… So this is a use of a live reading of the story by Gav from last year on his Phantastic Stories thread. So there are some unedited stumbles… Don't ever forgive him. He will be punished. The Eyes By Edith Wharton You can close your eyes and hopefully enjoy this reading by Gav. Or you can take your copy off the shelf. Here is a link to the text online: THE EYES BY EDITH WHARTON ON GUTENBERG And then on the 17th of March at 9 pm, we will reconvene for the book club itself. John brings his expertise. Gav brings his enthusiasm and the questions to hide the fact that he doesn’t know as much as people think he does and hopefully you will be there to join in the conversation live on Substack: Link to Haunted Book Club on Substack But don’t worry if you can’t make it and you subscribe you will get that conversation drop into your inbox or Podcast player soon afterwards. Coming up on Substack and beyond we have: Mar 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 23rd: The Story - Spinach by EF Benson March 31st: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 18th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory - Runcorn May 14th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell May 22nd: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Blooming Skull Coffee - Link to follow soon. Find all the places we haunt here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub Gav & John Thanks for reading Haunted Book Club! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The second Haunted Book Club and we haven’t even started haemorrhaging too many stories yet! The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe Harry Clarke’s iconic illustration to accompany a very non pockect sized edition… Thank you to every one that joined in especially if your name was Claire/Clare. Never too many Claire/Clare’s. Lots to say about this one - we didn’t find it scary. Some of us get the ‘ick’ from EAP. But it did stick around in our visual perceptions of horrible plagues… We aggregated the scores. Oh yeah. We scored it. Scare Factor: 1.5/10 - Not so scary at all but some of us love the florid language and style. Creep Factor: 2.5/5 - This one lingers… Those aristo’s and their partying. Satisfaction: 4/5 - It’s a classic for a reason. It’s got everything on the surface and so much more going on underneath. Was it a ‘Woo Hoo!’ or a ‘Boo Hoo…’? You should have a listen and decide for yourself. You missed ‘The AfterLive’. The Substack exclusive and cut section of the HBC. You have to be here live to be part of that… The next Haunted Book is 9pm, Tuesday 17th of March. The Eyes by Edith Wharton Our version of that will drop on your feed next week. Get listening or reading! Mar 3rd: Haunted Book Club - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 9th: The Story - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 23rd: The Story - Spinach by EF Benson March 31st: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 18th: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory, Runcorn - The Curfew by Lucy M.Boston May 21st: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell Did you spot the Live LIVE? That’s right - you can sot with us in the same wonderful and atmospheric space that is Norton Priory or the Portico Library. We will still do the reading for you but you can join in live with like minded pals and us! Phew - that is a lot to take in. We know! Thank you again. Don’t turn around… (No, that still doesn’t feel quite right as a catchphrase either. We should workshop it). Gav & John March 2026 Thank you eejits , Josie Ray , Rachael Prime , Chris Williams , Clare Williams , and many others for tuning into our live video with John Reppion and Gav Cross ! Join us for my next live video in the app. Subcribe for notifications about the the Haunted Book Club and more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

We had such fun at the first Haunted Book Club. Who knew that such a classic tail could throw up so much new thinking? That is of the value of a good conversation with good people and we hope we can keep that rolling with this dark red classic… The Masque of the Red Death By Edgar Allan Poe You can close your eyes and hopefully enjoy this reading by Gav. Or you can take your copy off the shelf. Here is a link to the text online: Link to the story at the Poe Museum And then on the 3rd of March at 9 pm, we will reconvene for the book club itself. John brings his expertise. Gav brings his enthusiasm and the questions to hide the fact that he doesn’t know as much as people think he does and hopefully you will be there to join in the conversation live on Substack: Link to Haunted Book Club on Substack But don’t worry if you can’t make it and you subscribe you will get that conversation drop into your inbox or Podcast player soon afterwards. Coming up on Substack we have: Feb 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Signalman by Charles Dickens Feb 23rd: The Story - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 3rd: Haunted Book Club - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 9th: The Story - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 23rd: The Story - Spinach by EF Benson March 31st: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit May 21st: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

The first Haunted Book Club lands with a screech! The Signalman by Charles Dickens Thank you to every one that joined in and I thinke we all went on a git of a journey with this story… It’s definite that we think differently now. We aggregated the scores. Oh yeah. We scored it. Scare Factor: 3/10 - Not so scary but THAT description of going down into the cutting… Creep Factor: 4/5 - This one lingers… This one gets stuck in the back of the brain… Satisfaction: 4/5 - It’s a classic for a reason. It’s got everything on the surface and so much more going on underneath. Was it a ‘Woo Hoo!’ or a ‘Boo Hoo…’? You should have a listen and decide for yourself. You missed ‘The AfterLive’. The Substack exclusive and cut section of the HBC. You have to be here live to be part of that… The next Haunted Book is 9pm, Tuesday 3rd of March. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe Our version of that will drop on your feed next week. Get listening or reading! Coming up on Substack we have: Feb 23rd: The Story - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 3rd: Haunted Book Club - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 9th: The Story - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar: 21st: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory, Runcorn - The Curfew by Lucy M.Boston Mar 23rd: The Story - Spinach by EF Benson March 31st: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit May 21st: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell Did you spot the Live LIVE? That’s right - you can sot with us in the same wonderful and atmospheric space that is Norton Priory or the Portico Library. We will still do the reading for you but you can join in live with like minded pals and us! Phew - that is a lot to take in. We know! Thank you again. Stay creepy… (No, that doesn't feel quite right as a catchphrase. We should workshop it). Gav & John Feb 2026 All the place we are can be found here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John Reppion can be found here: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav Cross can be found here: https://linktr.ee/gavcross Thank you eejits , Judith Wilde , Chris Williams , Kelly Williams , dean mcleod , and many others for tuning into my live video with John Reppion ! Join us for our next live video! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

Welcome to Part One of our very first Haunted Book Club. The story itself. The Signalman by Charles Dickens. (1866) With so many Short supernatural stories to choose from we have picked the first few for the book club. And we thought we would start with a humdinger. With something that has its own brand recognition. With something that is always being read, adapted, performed and feared… You can close your eyes and hopefully enjoy this reading by Gav. Or as John suggests you can take your copy off the shelf. Here is a link to the text online: Link To Story on Gutenberg And then on the 17th of February at 9 pm, we will reconvene for the book club itself. John brings his expertise. Gav brings his enthusiasm and the questions to hide the fact that he doesn't know as much as people think he does and hopefully you will be there to join in the conversation live on Substack: Link to Haunted Book Club on Substack But don't worry if you can't make it and you subscribe you will get that conversation drop into your inbox or Podcast player soon afterwards. Coming up on Substack we have: Feb 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Signalman by Charles Dickens Feb 23rd: The Story - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 3rd: Haunted Book Club - The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe Mar 9th: The Story - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar 17th: Haunted Book Club - The Eyes by Edith Wharton Mar: 21st: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Norton Priory, Runcorn - The Curfew by Lucy M.Boston Mar 23rd: The Story - Spinach by EF Benson March 31st: Haunted Book Club - Spinach by EF Benson April 6th: The Story - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit April 14th: Haunted Book Club - Man Sized in Marble by Edith Nesbit May 21st: Haunted Book Club Live LIVE - Portico Library, Manchester - The Old Nurse’s Tale by Elizabeth Gaskell Did you spot the Live LIVE? That’s right - you can sot with us in the same wonderful and atmospheric space that is Norton Priory or the Portico Library. We will still do the reading for you but you can join in live with like minded pals and us! Phew - that is a lot to take in. We know! Get to know us both a little more when Gav chats to John here on Substack, live. Feb 10th at 8.30pm. Tell Me Your Story: John Reppion. Subscribe to this Substack for updates. https://gavcross.substack.com/s/tell-me-your-story Welcome to the Haunted Book Club. We bring the supernatural, uncanny and ghostly stories to your ears and eyes. And we want you to join us. Together we will be safe… Gav & John Feb 2026 All the place we are can be found here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub John Reppion can be found here: https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav Cross can be found here: https://linktr.ee/gavcross This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com

A Book Club you don’t ‘ have ’ to do the reading for. We’ll read it to you… For enjoyers of eerie tales, curious to know more about the stories that make their skin crawl. Join Norton’s Narrator Gav Cross and author John Reppion as they delve into the stories behind some of your favourite spine-tingling tales. Whether you’re a seasoned ghost story expert or a newcomer to the realm of creepy fiction, Haunted Book Club welcomes all new members with open (and possibly skeletal) arms. Join in the conversation or sit quietly in the dark. Whatever you choose. Keep glancing over your shoulder… How does it work? Every other Tuesday, live here on Substack, we will host a book club focusing specifically on a classic short supernatural tales. https://gavcross.substack.com/s/haunted-book-club We have made some choices of the first few. But of course what we want is to know what we do next… We want you to be part of the choosing. We want to know what gives you the shivers and why… John will bring his extensive expertise in this field to give us an insight to the story, the author and its influence. Gav will ask some of the stupid questions because he is not as informed or clever as he pretends to be. But this is a Book Club so we want you to be part of that conversation as well. Let us know what you thought of the story how it made you feel, if you are a fan or not… What do you do? Obviously, we want you to join in. We want to chat to you as well. Don't get me wrong we love chatting to each other and that's basically what we've been doing for years now but we want to include you in that as well. We think it would be better if you know the story before coming to the book club. Many of you will already know these stories very, very well. Obviously, the best way to enjoy them is with a candle lit armchair by the fire, reading a first edition. If you don't have access to any of those things, we will do a reading for you over at Gav's other strand of Substack. You can also find this & lots of other stories on his Youtube, Spotify and your usual Podcast Places: https://gavcross.substack.com/s/phantastic-stories-with-gav-cross What happens next? Join in! Subscribe! Invote? Comment? Share? Buy some candles? Get to know us… John is popping on to Gav’s other Live Podcast: https://gavcross.substack.com/s/tell-me-your-story Come along live or listen back after. Let’s find out about how John gets his ideas for his own work and the collaborations with Leah Moore. (Link Below.) We are over on Instagram & Facebonk too. Links here: https://linktr.ee/haunted_bookclub That’s a LOT of stuff. Coffee? Tea? A tincture of something else…? Gav & John John Reppion is a writer, born in Liverpool. Since 2003 he has co-written comics in partnership with his wife, Leah Moore, as Moore & Reppion. John’s solo-scripted comics work has also appeared in 2000 AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, and Heavy Metal Magazine. He has written books and articles on Weird History, Folklore, Superstition, and Magic for the likes of The History Press, Fortean Times, Daily Grail Online, and Hellebore Zine. John’s Horror and Weird Fiction has appeared in anthologies from the likes of Titan Publishing, PS Publishing, Swan River Press, and Sarob Press. https://www.moorereppion.com/ Gav Cross is a storyteller and performer. He creates weird and scary shows for grown ups and families. “The War of the Worlds - An Abridged & Performed Reading”, he brings humour, heart, and a touch of chaos to venues, festivals, and theatres across the UK. Currently ’Norton’s Narrator’ for Norton Priory, bringing terror and shouting to the good people of the area. https://linktr.ee/gavcross This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com