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Michelle Paver among 13 authors featured in ghost story collection from Sphere
Sphere has snapped up The Witching Hour, an anthology of ghost stories from 13 authors including Michelle Paver and Stacey Halls.
Editorial director Rosanna Forte acquired world rights for publication in hardback in October 2025.
The Witching Hour will also feature new tales from Bridget Collins, Elizabeth Macneal, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Stuart Turton, Andrew Michael Hurley, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Natasha Pulley, Jess Kidd, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Susan Stokes-Chapman and Catriona Ward.
All the stories follow the anthology’s theme—"the hour after midnight, or the 13th hour, which in folklore is said to be the time when strange things roam the earth".
The Witching Hour is part of a series of annual short story collections that currently include The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits, which have sold over 100,00 copies across all formats according to the publisher. All three are published by Little, Brown.
Forte said: "These anthologies have become an annual highlight of my publishing calendar. It is a real privilege to work with such an array of superb authors and their wonderful agents, as well as the fantastic team at Little, Brown, on a project that fosters such a sense of collaboration and creativity. I’ve loved seeing readers connect with the books too, finding new pleasure in a centuries-old tradition."
