The truth is out there

To quote the inimitable Agent Fox Mulder: The truth is out there. And there are plenty of people who make it their life’s work to uncover it.Since time began there have been seekers. Those people who are determined to be the one to get proof. The one to capture it on camera. The one to speak to the other side. The one to capture that morsel, no matter how tiny, that will have them go down in history as That Person—y’know, the one who discovered it and proved it once and for all, who set us on this road of enlightenment. But exactly what are they seeking? And how do they do it?Join us for Writing the Occult this spring as we get into the minds of those who seek proof. Who demand to know what’s going on behind the smokescreen. Whether they’re amateur ghost hunters on weekend urban explorations or official bodies seeking the science behind the phenomena, they’re welcome in our school of thought. Let’s go seek some proof.Line-up coming soon!
Writing the Occult is a boutique series of events brought to you by the Society of Ink Slingers, in partnership with Alex Davis Events. Our approach is to bring together the fiction world with folklore and academia to bring a well-rounded view to a specific area of interest to both speculative fiction writers and those with a hankering for the esoteric.
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© Society of Ink Slingers, 2026. All rights reserved.

Writing the Occult: Time & Place
5 September 2026
It’s something we don’t really think about, that importance of the here and now, the time and place that anchors us to our lives. From the Bermuda Triangle’s disappearances, to the Philadelphia Experiment’s cloaking of a battleship, to tales of technology in use that really shouldn’t be possible, time and place anchor so many occult tales—which is why we’re diving in. We’re going there. And then. And the future, maybe. You coming?

Writing the Occult: Harbingers & Spirits
12 December 2026
Whether superstition or folklore, old wives’ tales or truth passed down through generations, our worlds are full of harbingers and spirits. Every family has a tale of nature’s symbolism, every culture has its own spirit guides, every place has its hauntings. And since it’s December in Britain, that can only mean one thing: It’s time for some spooky stories.

Writing the Occult: Love & Death
14 February 2026
Featuring: Eric LaRocca, Dr Kate Cherrell, Verity Holloway, Eric Huang, Dr Tabitha Stanmore, Lindz McLeod, Dr Zebib K Abraham, Regina Beach, Lauren McMenemy, Ruth Frances Long, Justin Lee Anderson, Corinne Pollard

Writing the Occult: Cryptids & Creatures
29 November 2025
Featuring: Grady Hendrix, Richard Freeman, V Castro, Tiffani Angus, Tiffany Morris, Kayleigh Dobbs, Alex Davis, Hero Owen, Zoe Burgess, A.W. Earl

Writing the Occult: Belief
6 September 2025
Featuring: Dr Francis Young, Lilith Dorsey M.A., Wole Talabi, Deborah Hyde, Brandon R Grafius, Ella Snyder, Dr S Jonathon O'Donnell, Jordan S. Carroll, Sarah Elliott, and Chris Hawton.

Writing the Occult: Relics
10 May 2025
Featuring: Cat Irving, John J Johnston, Ally Wilkes, Rebecca Stone Gordon, Steve Toase, John Buglass, and Jon Dear.

Writing the Occult: The Uncanny
18 January 2025
Featuring: Dr Elizabeth Dearnley, Zebib K. Abraham, E. Saxey, Dr Vicky Brewster, Dr Steph Lay, and Chris Hawton

Writing the Occult: Hauntology
30 November 2024
Featuring: Evelyn Hollow, Professor Robert Edgar, Adam S. Leslie, Dr Icy Sedgwick, Lindz McLeod, TC Parker, Mina Ikemoto Ghosh, and Robert P. Ottone.

Writing the Occult: Connection to Land
15 June 2024
Featuring: Ally Wilkes, Eve Smith, Caroline Wise, Dr Kevan Manwaring, Tiffany Morris, Xan van Rooyen, Akintoba Kalejaye, Penny Billington, Kerry Hadley-Price, Lindz McLeod, Shona Kinsella, Renan Bernardo, Paul Hardisty, Lisa Brideau, and Lindsey Trout Hughes

Writing the Occult: The Fae
6 April 2024
Featuring: Dr Elizabeth Dearnley, Gabriela Houston, Mark Norman, Morgan Daimler, Villimey Mist, Yvette Tan, Somto Ihezue, Avra Margariti, Yve Chairez, Khaya Maseko, Tanya Akrofi, Chinelo Onwualu, Komal Salman, and Xueting C. Ni

Writing the Occult: Ritual
27 January 2024
Featuring: Tracy Fahey, Dr Adam Scovell, Lee Murray, Eden Royce, Dr Helen Frisby, LMK Sheppard, Robert P. Ottone, Stephanie Ellis, Kev Harrison, Lindsey Trout Hughes

Writing the Occult: Vampires
28 October 2023
Featuring: Jewelle Gomez, Deborah Hyde, Dr Sam George, Scott J Moses, Beverley Lee, Nicole Eigener, Katalina Watt, Dawn Kurtagich, A.W. Earl, Erica Robert Pallo, A.R. James, Rebecca Wojturska

Writing the Occult: Witches
12 August 2023
Featuring: Alice Tarbuck, Claire Askew, Stacey Thomas, Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, Tiffani Angus, and Lauren McMenemy