The Haunted Library: Tales of Cursed Books and Forbidden Shelves

by Tanya Kirk (Editor)

A manuscript on loan delivers doom to its seeker. An uncanny tome enthrals its reader to a course of evil. Welcome to the Haunted Library, a collection of cursed tales steeped in the arcane secrets and dark psychic traces to be found in the stacks and shelves of libraries, museums and other treasure troves of hidden knowledge. First published by the British Library in 2016, this expanded edition features several new stories and an updated introduction by Tanya Kirk, now ensconced in the realm of Jamesian terrors as librarian at St John’s College, Cambridge.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

251 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2025

Reviews

[p. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5☆

Those were well selected and managed to hold my attention well enough throughout. Quite a few were perfect to read at Christmas-time. I guess it just did not wow me as much as I had hoped.

Favourite stories: "The Tractate Middoth" by M. R. James, "Fingers of a Hand" by H. D. Everett, "Mr Tallent's Ghost" by Mary Webb, "Herores Redivivus" by A. N. L. Munby, "The Advent Visitor" by C. J. Faraday

[Michael John Paul McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, classic stories from the British Library of the Weird shelves. The Haunted Library: Tales of Cursed Books and Forbidden Shelves was full of short stories that i had not read before, so it was a nice surprise. Edited by Tanya Kirk, each story made you think and gave you a number of chills along the way. Excellent. 10/10.