Victoria Ridley
@vridley.bsky.social
I write. Horror tinged by the eldritch, the folk, the weird. Also: ghosts.
MA Creative Writing - Edinburgh Napier 2023-2024
Jericho Writers UNWC 2022
MA Creative Writing - Edinburgh Napier 2023-2024
Jericho Writers UNWC 2022
The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper.
I was 10 years old, utterly absorbed, utterly immersed. I was Will, walking through snowy Buckinghamshire, waking to a time-frozen morning.
Reading it now, I realise it helped form the linguistic and syntactical shapes, sounds and structures of my thoughts.
I was 10 years old, utterly absorbed, utterly immersed. I was Will, walking through snowy Buckinghamshire, waking to a time-frozen morning.
Reading it now, I realise it helped form the linguistic and syntactical shapes, sounds and structures of my thoughts.
performative reading, lack of reading skills, nobody's reading anymore -- NO!
tell me about a book that changed you
for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
tell me about a book that changed you
for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
November 12, 2025 at 8:35 AM
The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper.
I was 10 years old, utterly absorbed, utterly immersed. I was Will, walking through snowy Buckinghamshire, waking to a time-frozen morning.
Reading it now, I realise it helped form the linguistic and syntactical shapes, sounds and structures of my thoughts.
I was 10 years old, utterly absorbed, utterly immersed. I was Will, walking through snowy Buckinghamshire, waking to a time-frozen morning.
Reading it now, I realise it helped form the linguistic and syntactical shapes, sounds and structures of my thoughts.
Have just seen Sinners. It’s transcendent. So drop whatever you’re doing, and go see it immediately.
April 22, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Have just seen Sinners. It’s transcendent. So drop whatever you’re doing, and go see it immediately.
Hell yeah.
First poster for ‘INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE’ Season 3.
Releasing in 2026 on AMC.
Releasing in 2026 on AMC.
April 15, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Hell yeah.
Today’s research is on stone pele towers, Hume’s is/ought problem, and how Karst makes their stone paper.
Folk horror really contains multitudes.
Folk horror really contains multitudes.
April 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Today’s research is on stone pele towers, Hume’s is/ought problem, and how Karst makes their stone paper.
Folk horror really contains multitudes.
Folk horror really contains multitudes.
Here’s the good stuff, lol!
We're at the York Literature Festival today 👻
1pm. Intro to Folk Horror & Pop Hauntology (with Rob Edgar & Adam J Smith)
2pm. In Conversation with Olivia Issac Henry
4.30pm. York Hauntologists read The Withered Arm
7pm. Bob Fischer's Haunted Generation
#YorkLitFest #FolkHorror
1pm. Intro to Folk Horror & Pop Hauntology (with Rob Edgar & Adam J Smith)
2pm. In Conversation with Olivia Issac Henry
4.30pm. York Hauntologists read The Withered Arm
7pm. Bob Fischer's Haunted Generation
#YorkLitFest #FolkHorror
March 8, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Here’s the good stuff, lol!
More geese than ghosts so far, alas.
March 8, 2025 at 9:55 AM
More geese than ghosts so far, alas.
In York for hauntological fun and games. First challenge: spelling hauntology 👻
March 7, 2025 at 2:30 PM
In York for hauntological fun and games. First challenge: spelling hauntology 👻
Too bad my suitcase is full else @devilligan.bsky.social would have been on for a…treat…?
February 11, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Too bad my suitcase is full else @devilligan.bsky.social would have been on for a…treat…?
Decent view yesterday 🇦🇺
February 4, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Decent view yesterday 🇦🇺
All booked! A lovely folk horror day in a lovely folk horror town 😀
Join us in York on Saturday 8th March for our HAUNTOLOGY, SPECTRALITY & FOLK HORROR DAY at the York Literature Festival, featuring:
Bob Fischer
Olivia Isaac-Henry
Robert Edgar & Adam Smith
York Society of Hauntologists
Book here: yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/
#FolkHorror #YorkLitFest
Bob Fischer
Olivia Isaac-Henry
Robert Edgar & Adam Smith
York Society of Hauntologists
Book here: yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/
#FolkHorror #YorkLitFest
January 28, 2025 at 4:29 PM
All booked! A lovely folk horror day in a lovely folk horror town 😀
Sharing. And also: ffs. Landlords and their greed are determined to destroy everything.
#SaveThePCC
Some of you may have read about the situation regarding our new landlord wishing to add a new redevelopment break clause, with only 6 months notice to our lease.
For now, we're simply asking you all to share & sign the petition below;
you.38degrees.org.uk/p/princechar...
Some of you may have read about the situation regarding our new landlord wishing to add a new redevelopment break clause, with only 6 months notice to our lease.
For now, we're simply asking you all to share & sign the petition below;
you.38degrees.org.uk/p/princechar...
Save The Prince Charles Cinema
The iconic Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End future is under serious threat!
We are beyond disappointed that our landlords Zedwell LSQ Ltd and their ultimate parent company Criterion Capital...
you.38degrees.org.uk
January 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Sharing. And also: ffs. Landlords and their greed are determined to destroy everything.
For anybody who’s looking for a little something to watch today…
Hey, this is a lovely thing - excellent short film supporters Omeleto are showcasing my film Corvidae at the moment, and have it playing on YouTube right here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u9c...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u9c...
CORVIDAE ft. Maisie Williams | Omeleto
YouTube video by Omeleto
www.youtube.com
January 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
For anybody who’s looking for a little something to watch today…
Writing is fun because you spend four hours trying to create the perfect name for your folk horror village and then brain can’t any else think 😫
Cake will help, right?
Cake will help, right?
January 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Writing is fun because you spend four hours trying to create the perfect name for your folk horror village and then brain can’t any else think 😫
Cake will help, right?
Cake will help, right?
A difficult read. I couldn’t finish it.
I knew this piece about Neil Gaiman was in the works, and still, I felt sick reading it.
TW: rape, abuse, coercion, and child sex abuse.
TW: rape, abuse, coercion, and child sex abuse.
There Is No Safe Word
How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades.
www.vulture.com
January 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
A difficult read. I couldn’t finish it.
Spreading the word…
Any of my genre-loving creative writing students who follow me here, spread the world about this opportunity - lots of you have written stories that could fit the brief!
Submissions for our queer sword and sorcery anthology are open until January 15th. 8¢/word. <6000 words.
Very keen on tyrant-killing, intimate stakes, unknowable magic, tiny loincloths, sweaty muscles, big thighs.
Good to avoid: epic fantasy tropes.
More info: www.neonhemlock.com/submissions
Very keen on tyrant-killing, intimate stakes, unknowable magic, tiny loincloths, sweaty muscles, big thighs.
Good to avoid: epic fantasy tropes.
More info: www.neonhemlock.com/submissions
January 12, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Spreading the word…
Yesterday was very on brand: walking around my fourth favourite graveyard (Dean Cemetery, listening to Ethel Cain, admiring the way the winter sunlight met the frozen stone.
January 11, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Yesterday was very on brand: walking around my fourth favourite graveyard (Dean Cemetery, listening to Ethel Cain, admiring the way the winter sunlight met the frozen stone.
This is today! A great way to begin the weekend.
Romancing the Gothic's first talk of 2025 this weekend! Come join us at 10am and/or 10pm British time to talk
Australian Horror Cinema and its relationship with history
AM - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1114186685...
PM - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1114188460...
Australian Horror Cinema and its relationship with history
AM - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1114186685...
PM - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1114188460...
The echoes of history in contemporary Australian Gothic film with Erin King
Erin King joins us for a discussion of Australian cinema
www.eventbrite.co.uk
January 11, 2025 at 8:45 AM
This is today! A great way to begin the weekend.
Hells yes! Gorgeous. Loved it. Balls to the wall gothic succulence.
Seated for Nosferatu 😍🧛♀️
January 2, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Hells yes! Gorgeous. Loved it. Balls to the wall gothic succulence.
This. And also this as part of Paolo Nutini’s song, Iron Sky.
"To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed...The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…"
Greatest Speech Ever Made: Charlie Chaplin The Great Dictator W Time Inception Full HD Best Version
YouTube video by Dr Michael Yeager
www.youtube.com
January 2, 2025 at 10:08 AM
This. And also this as part of Paolo Nutini’s song, Iron Sky.
Seated for Nosferatu 😍🧛♀️
January 2, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Seated for Nosferatu 😍🧛♀️
Inspired by @elizadearnley.bsky.social image from Edinburgh’s botanic gardens, here’s one of my favourites from my visit.
December 13, 2024 at 5:53 PM
Inspired by @elizadearnley.bsky.social image from Edinburgh’s botanic gardens, here’s one of my favourites from my visit.
There’s something here too about our current culture’s relationship to discomfort. Everything has to be easy, quick, painless…and creative skill and expertise is none of these things.
This is what's so baffling about so many suggestions for AI in the humanities classroom: they mistake the product for the point. Writing outlines and essays is important not because you need to make outlines and essays but because that's how you learn to think with/through complex ideas.
I'm sure many have said this before but I'm reading a student-facing document about how students might use AI in the classroom (if allowed) and one of the recs is: use AI to make an outline of your reading! But ISN'T MAKING THE OUTLINE how one actually learns?
December 12, 2024 at 8:42 AM
There’s something here too about our current culture’s relationship to discomfort. Everything has to be easy, quick, painless…and creative skill and expertise is none of these things.
Good morning! Midwinter approaches…
December 12, 2024 at 8:24 AM
Good morning! Midwinter approaches…
118 882 words and draft 2 is done. Will be blocking all memory if this story for the next month whilst I plot my next 🤣 #writingcommunity
December 6, 2024 at 10:53 AM
118 882 words and draft 2 is done. Will be blocking all memory if this story for the next month whilst I plot my next 🤣 #writingcommunity
Tomorrow I should finish the draft I thought would be done back in October.
Two stages of writing:
1) This shouldn't take too long
2) Oh no
1) This shouldn't take too long
2) Oh no
December 5, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Tomorrow I should finish the draft I thought would be done back in October.