Horror, Grief, and Coping: or, Why 'Hereditary' is my comfort film

This online talk explores the ways in which horror films can become, perhaps surprisingly, a source of support in processing grief, trauma and loss. Drawing on her own experience of sibling bereavement, Helen Davies discusses Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018), Midsommar (2019) and Beau is Afraid (2023) and we consider the connections between grief and the horror genre more broadly.

This talk is suitable for 18+ and deals with themes such as child death, mental health problems and suicide.

Tickets: £13,50 + booking fee. For more information contact: literatureforlifeuk@gmail.com

Dr Helen Davies is an independent researcher, having previously worked at Leeds Beckett University, Teesside University, Newman University and the University of Wolverhampton. She is the author of books on ventriloquism and the neo-Victorian freak show, and watches a lot of horror films.

Dr Nicola Allen has taught literature for over twenty years, specialising in twentieth-century literature and culture. She was worked at Birmingham City University, the University of Northampton and the University of Wolverhampton.