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Ghosts in the Walls

by Joseph Coelho, Larry Hayes, Catherine Johnson, Sophie Kirtley, EL Norry, Jasmine Richards, Sam Sedgman, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Alexia Casale and Imogen Russell Williams, illustrated by Pam Smy

Interest age: 9 to 14
Reading age: 9 to 14

Published by Bloomsbury, 2025

  • Ghost story
  • Historical
  • Horror
  • Mystery
  • Short stories
  • Thriller

About this book

Do you believe in ghosts? Ever heard noises in the night or seen something you can’t explain? In this supernatural short story collection, eleven different authors each share a haunting tale that’s been inspired by real people and places from history. 

It’s quite easy to believe that grand old buildings, with all the people that have lived in their halls and the historic dramas that have played out there, would have a few ghosts and ghouls hanging around. The historic royal palaces – Hampton Court, Kew, Kensington, Banqueting House, and the Tower of London – certainly tick all the boxes to be home to a haunting or two. From ghastly ghouls and vengeful kings to monstrous mazes and a supremely creepy dollhouse, these spine-chilling stories tap into history and bring it to life in a uniquely spooky way.  

The accessible, short story format adds a ‘dip in and out element’ while extra detail at the end reveals the source of each story’s inspiration and a fantastic selection of contributing authors brings a scare to suit everyone – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Alexia Casale, Joseph Coelho, Larry Hayes, Jim Helmore, Catherine Johnson, Sophie Kirtley, E.L. Norry, Jasmine Richards, Sam Sedgeman and Imogen Russell Williams. 

About the authors

Joseph Coelho is an award-winning children's author, performance poet and playwright based in London. He is also the Waterstones Children's Laureate for 2022-2024. His debut poetry collection, Werewolf Club Rules, was the 2015 winner of the CLPE CLiPPA Poetry Award. His second book, Overheard in a Tower Block, was shortlisted for the 2018 CLPE CLiPPA Poetry Award and is longlisted for the 2019 UKLA Book Awards. Joseph features in the BBC Teach 'Understanding Poetry' online series.

His work has poetry and performance at its heart, drawing on over 16 years' experience running dynamic creative literacy sessions in schools. He aims to inspire young people through stories and characters they can recognise.

Catherine Johnson, of Jamaican-Welsh heritage, grew up in north London. She has written over 20 novels for young readers. Her most recent historical novels were nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Sawbones won the Young Quills Award for best historical fiction for 12+, and The Curious Tale of The Lady Caraboo was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the YA Book Prize.

She has also written for TV including Rough Crossings for BBC2 with Simon Schama and popular continuing drama Holby City on BBC1. Her film work includes the award-winning Bullet Boy (2004), and her radio play, Fresh Berries, was shortlisted for the Prix Italia.

Catherine has been a Writer in Residence at Holloway Prison, a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the London Institute and has mentored writers for the British Council. She lives in Hastings.

Jasmine Richards is an author, series creator and founder of Storymix, a children's fiction studio. Her mission is to create books that are windows as well as mirrors. Jasmine loves reading and was a judge for the Blue Peter Book Award twice. She writes under several pen names, including Lola Morayo and Adam Blade and is passionate about changing the faces on children’s bookshelves. She is passionate about the value of creative writing for young people and loves helping them to build their own stories.

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