Press and Media

Since its launch in 2013, the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies and its members have appeared in various public media and newspapers. This page collects these appearances, as well as links to them, where they are still viewable or available to read.

2022

• ‘Bringing Ghostly Monasteries to Life; mention of Revenants and Remains project in The Independent (1 November 2022).
• ‘For the Love of Horror 2022’, review by Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for Visit Manchester/Haunt Manchester (1 November 2022).
• Tortoise Lates: ‘Fear’, interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (31 October 2022).
• ‘Haunted Hibernia: The Irish Contemporary Gothic’, The Irish Times (25 October 2022)
• ‘Grimmfest Announces Its 2022 Grimm Reaper Awards’, Dread Central article, mention of Dr Linnie Blake (19 October 2022).
• ‘Revenants and Remains: Using the Dead to Bring Medieval Monasteries Back to Life’, English Heritage podcast, interview with Prof Dale Townshend (6 October 2022).
• ‘Historic Sites around England Are Hosting a Load of Spooky New Ghost Tours’, TimeOut article and mention of Prof Townshend (3 October 2022).
• ‘English Heritage to Host Ghost Story Tours at Five Monasteries’, The Guardian article and mention of Prof Townshend (30 September 2022).
• ‘Ghosts of Sinful Monks and Nuns Illuminate England’s Monastic History’, History First article and mention of Prof Townshend (29 September 2022).
• ‘English Heritage to Host Ghost Story Tours at Byland Abbey, Roche Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey and More’, Yorkshire Post article and mention of Prof Townshend (28 September 2022).
• ‘Manchester’s Grimmfest Present “Monsters and Movies”’, Horrified Magazine (13 September 2022).
• ‘Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on a 1980s Gothic Revival’, HAUNT Manchester  interview (19 August 2022).
• ‘Leopoldo Torre Nilsson’s Hand in the Trap’, BBC Radio 3’s Free Thinking, interview with Dr Aldana Reyes (30 March 2022).
• ‘Horror corporal y amor incondicional’, La Razón de México, mention of Dr Aldana Reyes (18 March 2022).

2021

• ‘Rebecca’s 80th Anniversary’. Video Interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes for Showcase on TRTWorld – Turkish broadcasting television (October 2020).
• ‘Grimmfest Podcast. Episode 1: Japanese Horror and Guests’, podcast with Dr Linnie Blake, Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (13 November 2021).
• ‘A Body of Horror: Jocelyn McGregor in Conversation with Dr Maisha Wester and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes’, Castlefield Gallery podcast (29 October 2021)
• ‘The Morbid Appeal of “Botched” Plastic Surgery’, Vox article, interview with Dr Aldana Reyes (28 October 2021).
• ‘Why We are Living in “Gothic Times”’, BBC Culture, interview with Dr Ní Fhlainn (15 March 2021).

2020

• ‘29 Best Gothic Novels of All Time, Including Rebecca’. Interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes for The Oprah Magazine (21 October).
• ‘Rural Eerie – New Album by Flange Circus’. Review of album produced by Dr Julian Holloway (and others) by Jim Peters for Folk Horror Revival (21 July).
• ‘Disease and the Victorians’. Interview with Dr Emma Liggins for History Hit podcast, hosted by Dan Snow (29 June).
• ‘Ruiz Zafón, “escritor de lectores”: Las claves de un éxito’. Article by Aldana Reyes for the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia (27 June).
• ‘The Scariest Books’. Article by Aldana Reyes for the Five Books website (2 June).
• ‘The Psychological Reason You’re So Terrified of the Twins in The Shining’. Interview with Aldana Reyes for Bustle magazine (26 May).
• ‘Watching Through the Pandemic’. Video interview with Aldana Reyes for Showcase on TRTWorld – Turkish broadcasting television (21 April).
• ‘The Complete Guide to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’. Interview with Dr Ní Fhlainn on the legacy of Frankenstein for SciFi Now Magazine (March, issue #169).
• ‘Youth Fiction Decolonizing Britishness’. Interview with Dr Chloé Germaine for the MCYS podcast (March).
• ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: The Birth of a Gothic Monster’. Article by Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for History Extra (31 January).
• BBC Interviews on the new Dracula Miniseries by Dr Ní Fhlainn for BBC Radio Wiltshire, Guernsey, Coventry and Warwickshire, Cumbria, and Cornwall (3 January).

2019

• ‘For the Love of Sci-Fi: Manchester’s premier science fiction convention - Review plus special guest interviews!’. Article and interviews by Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for HAUNT Manchester and Visit Manchester (17 December 2019).
• 'I Lár an Aonaigh'. Video interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for BBC2 (10 November 2019).
• ‘The Best Halloween 2019 Events in Manchester and Beyond’. Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes mentioned in Manchester Evening News (29 October 2019).
• ‘For the Love of Horror highlights - massive Manchester convention coverage and interview special!’. Article and interviews by Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for HAUNT Manchester and Visit Manchester. (28 October 2019)
• ‘Haunted City: Inside Our Fascination with Manchester’s Gothic Past’. Interview with Dr Aldana Reyes in Mancunian Matters(8 July 2019).
• Dr Aldana Reyes interviewed by Times Higher Education (16 May 2019).
• ‘Manchester Horror Expert Has Put Together the Weird Tales of William Hope Hodgson’. Dr Aldana Reyes mentioned in About Manchester (13 April 2019).

2018

• Sinking Your Teeth into Vampires. Interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in Arts and Ideas podcast for BBC Radio 3 / AHRC (17 October 2018)
• Forgotten Books: 17 Years since the Publication of The Shadow of the Wind. Article by Dr Aldana Reyes for the cultural supplement of The Irish Times, Ticket (29 September 2018, print and online)
• Manchester and Gothic Publishing. Article by Dr Aldana Reyes for HAUNT Manchester, Visit Manchester website (19 September 2018).
• Exploring H. P. Lovecraft's Gothic Roots. Article by Dr Aldana Reyes for The Irish Times (4 September 2018)
• 'Seeing Double: The Origins of the "Evil Twin" in Gothic Horror and Hollywood'. Article by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes for The Conversation (14 June 2018)
• 'Twins'. Brief interview with Dr Aldana Reyes for The Anthill podcast (14 June 2018)
• 'New Webportal Aims to Make Manchester Gothic Tourist Destination'. Article on HAUNT Manchester and interview with Prof Dale Townshend in Manchester Evening News (4 June 2018)
• 'As Frankenstein celebrates his 200th birthday, we ask: what makes the original sci-fi monster such a timeless creation?'. Interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for SFX Magazine (UK) and Games Radar (USA) (31 January 2018)
• 'Frankestein ¡está vivo, está vivo!'. Interview with Dr Ní Fhlainn in El Colombiano (Newspaper, Medellín) (27 January 2018).
• 'Frankenstein at 200: the birth of a gothic monster'. Article by Dr Ní Fhlainn for BBC History magazine (3 January 2018).
• 'Frankenstein: Behind the monster smash'. Interview with Dr Ní Fhlainn for BBC News Online (1 January 2018). Article also published in Portuguese by BBC Brasil; in Turkish by BBC Turkce; and in Spanish by BBC Mundo.

2017

• 'Gothic Marxism'. Radio Interview with Dr Jonathan Greenaway, Revolutionary Left Radio: The Horror Genre and the Monsters of Neoliberalism (10 December 2017).
• 'Bernostalgia Lewat Sinema, Kenapa Era 1980-an?'. Article mentioning Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn's research on 1980s culture and nostalgia in Stranger Things. Pikiran Rakrat (Daily Newspaper, Bandung and Java, Indonesia) (8 November 2017).
• 'Manchester Unites for Gothic Manchester Festival Fashion Show'. Article on the Gothic Manchester fashion show and interviews with Dr Jennifer Richards and Helen Darby. Humanity Hallows (6 November 2017).
• Universidad del Claustro conmemorará el 170 aniversario de Bram Stoker, el padre de Drácula. Article mentioning Dr Ní Fhlainn's conference keynote at Universitad del Claustro de Sor Juana in Mexico City, Mexico. El Arsenal (5 November 2017).
• 'Homenaje a Bram Stoker a 170 años de su nacimiento'. Article mentioning Dr Ní Fhlainn's conference keynote in Mexico City, Mexico. Aristegui (5 November 2017). 
• Trick or Treat? A Guide to Halloween’s Hidden (and Not So Hidden) Gems, article by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes for The Conversation (30 October 2017).
• 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'. Radio interview with Dr. Sorcha Ní Fhlainn. The Forum. BBC World Service. (16 September, 2017)
• 'IT remake will haunt those nostalgic for the unbridled terrors of childhood'. Review of IT by Dr Chloe Germaine Buckley for The Conversation (11 September 2017).
• 'Clive Barker: Dark imaginer – Q&A with Sorcha Ní Fhlainn'. Interview for Manchester University Press Blogspot (7 September 2017).
• 'Gothic Manchester Festival 2017: The Neon Demon at Number 70 Oxford Street, Manchester'. Mention of Dr Jennifer Richards and Manchester Gothic Arts Group, Creative Tourist (7 August 2017).
• How George A. Romero Made Humans of Violent Brain-Devouring Zombies, article by Dr Aldana Reyes for The Conversation (17 July 2017).
• Bride of Frankenstein: Gothic Horror, interview with Dr Aldana Reyes in episode 2 for The Horror Lab podcast (iTunes) (20 June 2017).
• 'Hag, temptress or feminist icon? The witch in popular culture' Article by Dr Chloe Germaine Buckley on Witches in cinema for The Conversation (19 May 2017)

2016

• Special Guest Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on Hannah's Bookshelf, North Manchester FM (29 October 2016).
• 'Gothic Manchester Festival Returns'. Interview with Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes and mention of Gothic Manchester 4 in About Manchester (21 October 2016).
• The Loney and Andrew Michael Hurley At Manchester Gothic Festival, mentioning Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in Manchester Confidential (21 October 2016).
• Ghosts, Monsters and Werewolves: Manchester Goes Gothic, mentioning Dr Aldana Reyes in I Love Manchester (6 October 2016).
• 'An Analyst of Gothic Monsters Explores Trump’s Appeal'. Interview with Dr Jonathan Greenaway for Dot Earth blog, New York Times (4 August 2016).
• World Goth Day: Shedding Some Light on the Darkness of a Much-Maligned Culture, interview with Dr Aldana Reyes in The Independent (22 May 2016).
• Zombies and the City: In a Tel Aviv Show, Chinese Artist Cao Fei Re-imagines the Urban Apocalypse, mention of Dr Aldana Reyes in Hareetz, Israeli news (16 April 2016).
• Special guest Dr Aldana Reyes on Hannah's Bookshelf, North Manchester FM (9 April 2016).

2015

• 'Weird Treats at this Year's Gothic Manchester Festival'. Brief interview with Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Aldana Reyes and mention of Gothic Manchester 3 in About Manchester (19 October 2015)
• ‘Horror Movie Special’ podcast (episode 64) of the George Lamb Show. Interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes and mention of the Gothic Centre (21 August 2015).
• Introducing the Children to the Darkness of Gothic Fiction – Plus Our Recommended Reading List to Get You Started‘. Article on co-curated exhibition and interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes for Manchester Evening News (29 July 2015).
• 'All Things Gothic at John Rylands'. Interview with Dr Aldana Reyes and Linnie Blake and mention of Darkness and Light exhibition in About Manchester (23 July 2015)
• ‘Darkness and Light: Exhibition Celebrates the Gothic’. Article on co-curated exhibition and interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes and Dr Linnie Blake for MMU News (22 July 2015).
• ‘Fangs for the Memories: Death of Chistopher Lee Draws a Veil over Golden Years of Horror’. Homage article from Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes for The Conversation (11 June 2015).
• ‘Vampires Aren’t That Bad’. Radio interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for Spin 1038 (14 April 2015).
• ‘Breaking the First Rule of Fight Club: Cult Classic Kicks off Manchester Library Film Series’. Interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn and Rachid M'rabty for Mancunian Matters (19 March 2015). (19 March 2015).
• The Uprising of Gothic documentary. Directed by Ilona Mo. Interviews from Dr Linnie Blake, Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (30 March 2015).
• Special Guest Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on Hannah's Bookshelf, North Manchester FM (31 January 2015).

2014 

• Promotional Video for Gothic Manchester 2014. Interviews with Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (11 November 2014).
• ‘No Strangers to Darkness: Macabre Manchester Is Prince of Gothic, Says Doc’. Article on Gothic Manchester 2014 and interview with Dr Linnie Blake in Mancunian Matters (01 November 2014).
• Introduction to Gothic Cinema course featured in Mancunian Matters’s What’s On (October 2014).
• ‘Why Do We Love Vampires?’ Radio interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on Spin 1038 (31 October 2014).
• HiP Storify page for the Gothic Manchester Festival II, with Tweets, pictures and videos (31 October 2014).
• ‘Fang Café’. Article on Gothic Manchester 2014 and interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn in Humanity Hallows (29 October 2014).
• ‘Paint the Town Black: Gals and Ghouls Explore City’s Dark Side as Gothic Manchester Festival Rises Again’. Article on Gothic Manchester 2014 and interview with Dr Linnie Blake in Mancunian Matters (08 October 2014).
• Why Horror? documentary. Interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (03 October 2014).
• ‘New Blood: Dracula Brought to Life by Legendary Dance Company at Manchester’s Contact Theatre’. Mention of Gothic Centre in Mancunian Matters (15 September 2014).
• 'Back to the 80s in an attempt to recapture sci-fi of pre-digital era'. Article by Dr Ní Fhlainn for The Conversation. (29 August 2014).
• ‘European Gothic’ blogs for The Gothic Imagination. Curated by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (1-22 July 2014).
• Gothic Networking Day reviewed in The Gothic Imagination (10 June 2014), the University of Wales Press’s website (14 July 2014) and the International Gothic Association’s website (18 July 2014).
• Storify page for the Gothic Networking Day, including Tweets and pictures (16 July 2014).
• ‘Modern and Contemporary Gothic Reading Group’ blogs for the International Gothic Association‘s website. Curated by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (16 June – 7 July 2014).
• ‘Lancastrian Gothic Has Run of Historic City’. Mention of Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in The Lancashire Evening post (05 February 2014).
• ‘Out of the Dark: Open Spaces’. Mention of Gothic Manchester and interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in The Gothic Imagination website (27 January 2014).

2013 

• Promotional Video for Gothic Manchester 2013. Interviews with Dr Linnie Blake, Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes (10 November 2013).
• ‘Rocky Horror University: Centre for ‘Gothic Studies’ Opens in Manchester’, Article on the Gothic Centre, and interview with Dr Linnie Blake, in The Independent (03 November 2013).
• ‘Orsdall Hall Ghost Hunt’. Interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for Irish TV (31 October 2013).
• ‘Frankly, We Don’t Care’. Mention of the Centre and of Dr Linnie Blake in THE Poppletonian (31 October 2013).
• ‘Research Cluster Explores All Things Gothic: Manchester Met Launches Interdisciplinary Centre for Gothic Studies’. Article on the Gothic Centre, with interview by Dr Linnie Blake, in The Times Higher Education (24 October 2013).
• ‘Writers, Architecture, Academics, Walking Tours and Zombies… Zombies?’. Gothic Manchester festival preview in Manchester Confidential (16 October 2013).
• ‘Gothic Manchester Festival Co-organiser Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes Tells The Skinny about Stephen King’s Influence on His Research and Teaching’. Interview article The Skinny (09 October 2013).
• ‘Zombies Invade Geoffrey Manton Building! Undead Rise to Take Part in Humanities in Public’. Article on Contemporary Gothic strand and interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in MMU News (08 October 2013).
• ‘Grotesque Manchester: Meet the Gargoyles Lurking above City’s Streets’. Mention of the Gothic Centre and interview with Dr Julian Holloway in Mancunian Matters (01 October 2013).
• Promotional Video for the International Gothic Association’s Biennial Conference. Interview with Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes and Dr Linnie Blake (28 August 2013).
• ‘Xavier Aldana Reyes Interviewed by David McWilliam’. Interview and mention of Gothic Centre in Twisted Tales website (26 August 2013).
• ‘Manchester Met Outreach Aims to Meet Public Halfway: Hip Programme Targets the Groups Others Cannot Reach’. Mention of Contemporary Gothic strand, part of the HIP programme, in Times Higher Education (12 August 2013).
• ‘Ghostly Goings on as Manchester Uni Offers Gothic Studies’. Article on Gothic Centre and mention of Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in Manchester Evening News (09 August 2013).
• ‘A Degree in Twilight: University Launches Course in Gothic Horror to Cash in on Popularity of Vampire Fiction’. Article on the Gothic Centre, and mention of Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, in Daily Mail Online (09 August 2013).
• ‘Spreading the Virus’. Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn on YouTube Zombie ‘Live Feed’ for Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries Panel at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (19 July 2013).
• Press Release for Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film. Mention of the Gothic Centre and the festival in the British Film Institute website (27 June 2013).
• ‘Studying Great Works with a Gothic Flavour: Stephen Hoare Investigates Manchester Metropolitan University’s New Centre Tackling the Dark Side of the Arts’. Article on the Gothic Centre, and interview with Dr Linnie Blake, in The Independent (21 June 2013).
• Gothic Manchester chosen for ‘Ambassador Spotlight’ section of Visit Manchester website and in research letter (26 June 2013).
• ‘First Gothic Manchester Festival Hailed a Spooky Success: University-Run Event Explores the Dark Side of Academia’. Article on Gothic Manchester and interviews with Dr Linnie Blake and Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes in MMU News (28 October 2013).
• ‘Zombie Culture’. Radio interview with Dr Sorcha Ní Fhlainn for The John Murray Show (20 March 2013)

‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’. Radio interview with Dr. Sorcha Ní Fhlainn. The Forum. BBC World Service. (16 September, 2017).