"A Ghostly Company" was formed in April 2004 and takes its title from the H. R. Wakefield ghost story collection of that name. It is a literary society devoted to the ghost story in all its forms, though preference is given to the traditional and time-honoured fiction of such writers as M. R. James, E. F. Benson, Walter de la Mare, A. M. Burrage, and others, as well as more modern and contemporary authors. It exists to fill a gap in Great Britain which the removal of the long-standing Ghost Story Society to Canada created, namely the meeting-up of like-minded enthusiasts at gatherings in suitable locations around the UK at frequent intervals. It is an informal club with no great pretensions to grandeur!

"A Ghostly Company", like its name suggests, is a society with a strictly limited membership, which is currently set to 75 members, or as they are known within the society, "Companions". This is purely for the ease of day-to-day running and administration, as it is a non-profit organisation run by volunteer enthusiasts for the same kind of folk! Many of its number are also members of similar societies, to whom we will provide links in our forthcoming links section (and some members may have been past members of such societies). Therefore, AGC prides itself on including in its membership published authors of contemporary ghost stories and writers of in-depth and well-researched articles and essays concerning the genre. As AGC's membership quota is unlikely to grow beyond 75, it is advisable to join while vacancies still exist, as any prospective members after this would have to be placed on a waiting list.

The society publishes a frequent newsletter which appears five or six times yearly at approximately two-month intervals, depending on material and events. Details of membership (which is yearly, from January to December) are defined via the constitution, and are shown on our Membership page. The newsletter includes members' letters, book reviews, a section for book sales and wanted, and other news concerning events, etc. The society holds an Annual General Meeting, which coincides with a

gathering or "Black Pilgrimage" (the latter term designating a venue which includes specific locations or other interests concerning the ghost story genre).

Members are actively encouraged to participate, both in attending events or writing, either fiction or articles, for the society, although this isn't compulsory! An annual journal, entitled "The Silent Companion" is currently being compiled which will contain previously unpublished material by members for members, and will be unavailable elsewhere. Meetings may be held informally by members living locally to one another, and general gatherings are a mixture of informal chat, drinks and food, quizzes, talks, film evenings, and book bartering.

Within just six months of its inception, in October 2005 AGC held its first Gathering, AGM, and Black Pilgrimage combined. Based in Great Malvern, Worcertershire, this first meeting also included a tour of The Priory, a place associated with M. R. James. It was deemed a success by all who attended.

The second AGM was held in Chester, with later events having taken place at Lichfield (Staffordshire), York, ad Sheffield. Our 2008 AGM was held in April of this year; our second visit to Lichfield.

Historically, before the creation of AGC (in the 90s), founder members planned and attended several Ghost Story Society conventions held in Chester, a "Ghosts & Scholars" convention at Rochester (Kent), as well as the plaque-unveiling in honour of M. R. James in Great Livermere Church, Suffolk, plus the service at his restored grave in Eton Town Cemetery, before a special guided tour of Eton College.

So if you're a long-time lover of the ghost story, or a relative newcomer, "A Ghostly Company" could be the very thing to stimulate your interest, meet new people, and above all get more enjoyment out of what most folk would consider quirky, old-fashioned, and just a minority interest. Why not consider joining the minority?

Introduction | History | Membership | Events | Contact