Creative Writing lecturer edits the latest instalment of the British Library’s Tales of the Wind series

The edition comes as the latest instalment of the British Library’s Tales of the Wind series, which brings attention to obscure supernatural stories by lesser-known authors. Describing the opportunity to work on the series as an exciting way to contribute to their “amazing job of bringing less well-known works back to life”, Ruth shared how she has been drawn to Crowe’s work because it has been “neglected and under-rated”.  

Ruth has created a collection that includes the author’s Gothic and gruesome short stories alongside an extract from Crowe’s most famous book published in 1848, The Night Side of Nature. Describing the extract, Ruth told us how it is “a collection of people’s ‘real’ experiences of the supernatural” that was “groundbreaking and extremely popular in the Victorian age with ghost stories being all the rage and Spiritualism just beginning.”   

When asked what draws her towards Crowe’s work, Ruth explained: “Crowe’s work really tapped into the zeitgeist around the undead and ghosts. I think it’s really important that her work is revived and reevaluated properly.