Salem Horror Fest 8
Book Panel
Presented in association with
Copper Dog Books
May 3rd
Saturday
Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square West
Salem, Massachusetts
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Descend to The Library of the historic Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA for readings and conversations from five authors of frightful fiction, including Professor Tananarive Due (The Reformatory).
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
The authors read excerpts from their books
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
The authors answer your questions
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
The authors sign your books
BOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
** Seating is limited and subject to availability. People who do not get seats may return at 12:15 for the book signing.
About the Authors
Matthew M. Bartlett
Matthew is the author of the mosaic novels Gateways to Abomination and its sequel Creeping Waves, as well as a number of short story collections. His new novel is entitled The Obsecration. He has recorded several spoken word albums and 45s with Cadabra Records and has had his stories published in a variety of anthologies and journals. In late 2020 he joined the Great Resignation, immediately launching his current ongoing project, now in its fifth year: a subscription service entitled the WXXT Program Guide, which offers monthly chapbooks. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife Katie Saulnier (whose art graces the cover of Gateways to Abomination) and their cats Peachpie and Larry.
Tananarive Due
A leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years, Due has won several awards including an American Book Award, an NAACP Image Award, and a British Fantasy Award, and her writing has been included in best-of-the-year anthologies. Her books include The Reformatory, The Wishing Pool and Other Stories, Ghost Summer: Stories, My Soul to Keep, and The Good House.
She and her late mother, civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due, co-authored Freedom in the Family: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights.
More festival information about Professor Due
Corey Farrenkopf
Corey lives on Cape Cod and works as a librarian. His work has been published in Strange Horizons, Nightmare, The Deadlands, Electric Literature, Weird Horror Magazine, Bourbon Penn, and elsewhere. His debut novel, Living in Cemeteries, was released from JournalStone in April of 2024 and his eco-horror collection, Haunted Ecologies, was published by them in February 2025. He is the Fiction Editor for The Cape Cod Poetry Review.
To learn more, follow him on Bluesky @CoreyFarrenkopf or on the web at CoreyFarrenkopf.com.
Marisca Pichette
Marisca is a queer author born and raised in Massachusetts. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld, Vastarien, Nightmare Magazine, and others. Her collection, Rivers in Your Skin, Sirens in Your Hair, was a finalist for the Bram Stoker and Elgin Awards. Their eco-horror novella, Every Dark Cloud, was published in March 2025 by Ghost Orchid Press.
Krissie Williams
Krissie Williams is the author of several novellas. She earned her B.A.in History/Secondary Education from Providence College and M.A. in Learning and Thinking from The Graduate Institute. Currently, she is a high school History teacher and founder of Barnstable Ally Group, a local civil rights and social justice organization. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She has been awarded the Highlight in Education Award from her school district for creating a Black Studies curriculum at her school and The Unsung Heroes Award from the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission for her work in supporting marginalized people and antiracism.
When she is not teaching or writing you can find her doing retail therapy, soaking up a historical tour (in which ghosts may or may not be involved) and traveling. She also spends as much time as possible with her merry band of misfit friends and laughing with her mom, dad, and sister. She lives in Cape Cod, MA with her mischievous black cat Luna.
Her recent novel, There Ought to be Shadows, debuted as #1 bestseller on Amazon (Black/African American Horror/ New Releases) this past summer and has held the spot multiple times. There Ought to be Shadows has also recently been named a finalist for an Indie Ink Award (2024).
To learn more, follow her on Instagram @krissiekwilliamswrites or on the web at krissiewilliams.com.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Jason LeBlanc is a teacher, writer, head of the Boston Horror Society, and member of the Horror Arts Collective. He’s also a board member for New England Horror Writers (NEHW).
Follow Jason at @beantownhorrors on Bluesky.
ABOUT COPPER DOG BOOKS
Copper Dog Books offers a quality selection of a wide range of book, book-related products, gifts, and cards with stellar customer service in downtown Beverly, MA. The owners, Meg Wasmer and Julie Karaganis, are Beverly residents who are devoted to books and committed to serving their customers. Beyond Salem Horror Fest, Copper Dog has sold books at a variety of horror literature events in the New England area such as Spooktastic Book Fair, Camp NECON and the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival.
Visit Website
