Confessions of a Book Collector

Erin Kelly On Mass Hysteria & The Power of Ritual

Goldsboro Books Season 6 Episode 20

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 52:01

What makes fear contagious? Why do we cling to ritual? And can we ever really trust our memories?

Bestselling author and Capital Crime Festival Genre-Bending Book of the Year winner Erin Kelly joins David Headley for one of our most intriguing conversations yet.

Together they discuss the power of collective belief, how rituals give us a sense of control, the books that changed Erin, and the storytelling techniques behind some of today's smartest psychological suspense novels. Aspiring writers won't want to miss Erin's candid advice on plotting twists, dissecting your favourite novels and the writing techniques she's honed over her long career.

They also delve into Erin's new gothic thriller, The Night Stairs. A haunting tale of Catholic school myths, mass hysteria and the secrets we carry with us long after adolescence.

Whether you're a reader, writer or simply curious about why people behave the way they do, this is an episode that will stay with you.