One evening. One seaside town. One extraordinary ghost story.
This Halloween, together with Hotel CoCo Felixstowe, we’re bringing together books, local history, literature, ghost stories and good conversation for a very special one-off social and networking event celebrating Felixstowe’s rich literary heritage.
And at the heart of the evening is one of the greatest names in English ghost-story writing: M. R. James.
📖 Darryl Jones – For the Dead Remember
We’re delighted to welcome Darryl Jones, author of For the Dead Remember, the first full biography exploring the life of M. R. James – and the man behind the stories.
Darryl is Professor of Modern British Literature and Culture at Trinity College Dublin and a leading authority on James and his work. He has written or edited fourteen books, including the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Collected Ghost Stories.
M. R. James was a fascinating figure: a brilliant medievalist and scholar who became Provost of King’s College, Cambridge, and later Vice-Chancellor of the University. Yet behind the distinguished academic career was a deeply private man whose imagination produced some of the most enduring and unsettling supernatural tales ever written.
And his connection to East Anglia runs deep.
Raised in Suffolk at Great Livermere, James drew inspiration from the region’s churches, ancient buildings, coastline and landscapes. The atmosphere of East Anglia permeates his work – and Felixstowe has a fascinating place in his story.
👻 “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad”
One of M. R. James’s best-known ghost stories is closely associated with Felixstowe, where he stayed and found inspiration for the unsettling seaside setting of the tale.
🌊 Discover the Felixstowe connection
From Felixstowe’s beach huts to the M. R. James blue plaque, we’ll explore the local places, people and stories connected with one of Britain’s greatest ghost-story writers.
🍸 Cocktails, nibbles & conversation
And because every good literary evening deserves a little refreshment, there’ll be cocktails and nibbles to enjoy while you meet fellow readers, creatives, local businesses and curious minds.
📚 An evening for everyone
Whether you’re a lifelong reader, a lover of ghost stories, fascinated by local history, a writer, bookseller, creative, business owner – or simply curious – come along for an evening of literature, heritage, storytelling, spooky atmosphere, cocktails, nibbles and networking.
🕯️ A one-off event. A unique evening. A ghost story with a Felixstowe connection.
Felixstowe has stories to tell… and some of them may not be entirely dead. 👻
Tickets: £10 per person, including refreshments
(Tickets available from midday on Saturday 3rd October 2026 via link: For the Dead Remember: A Celebration of M R James )