Pour yourself a glass of sherry and light a candle, as we dedicate this year's Halloween special to Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), the first collection by M.R. James, probably the most celebrated and influential exponent of the weird tale. With the help of undead guests Andrew Male and Laura Varnam we illuminate the life and work of a strange and singular author, one whose writings, like the engraving in 'The Mezzotint', have truly taken on a life of their own.

Books mentioned
M.R. James - Ghost Stories of an Antiquary; A Warning to the Curious; Lost Hearts; Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book; The Five Jars; A Thin Ghost and Others; A Warning to the Curious; Curious Warnings
Penelope Fitzgerald - The Gate of Angels

Other links
Dr Laura Varnam - https://www.univ.ox.ac.uk/academics/laura-varnam/
Andrew Male - https://t.co/GAk77aIlb1
MR James's ghost stories: celebrate Halloween the old-fashioned way - https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2011/oct/31/mr-james-ghost-stories-halloween
The Haunting of M.R. James BBC Radio 4 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001l7c
The M.R. James BBC Radio Collection - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-M-R-James-BBC-Radio-Collection-Audiobook/1787538990