MAY -- Wakenhyrst 🌿📖🪦

Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver (2019)

Join us for a discussion of Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver, a deeply atmospheric gothic horror novel set in the eerie marshlands of Edwardian England.

The story follows Maud Stearne as she reflects on her isolated childhood at Wakenhyrst Hall, where strange discoveries, religious obsession, unsettling folklore, and the surrounding wetlands slowly cast a shadow over the household.

This is quiet, creeping horror done exceptionally well: crumbling estates, family secrets, oppressive landscapes, strange creatures half-glimpsed in the reeds, and the feeling that something ancient may be stirring beneath the surface.

Up for Discussion

• Gothic horror versus folk horror
• Isolation, repression, and fear
• Nature as atmosphere, threat, and mystery
• The role of religion and superstition in horror
• Why quiet horror can sometimes hit harder than explicit horror

About the Author
Michelle Paver is known for richly atmospheric historical horror novels including Dark Matter and Thin Air. Her stories often blend isolation, folklore, psychological tension, and harsh natural settings into immersive slow-burn horror.

Opening Icebreaker
What kind of horror did this book feel like?

Before the event …

• Read the book.
• Keep your RSVP up-to-date. If you can't make it out, update your RSVP at least 24 hours beforehand. Attendance will be taken and "No Show"s marked.

At the event …

• We’re a friendly welcoming bunch and we love new folks!
• Please purchase something (even if just a soda) while you’re at the restaurant. They’re running a business but being super awesome by giving us a space to meet for free. Also, please tip our servers. We’re a big bunch to wrangle.

2026 Austin Horror Book Club Selections
Click here to see this year's books!