Titan Books to publish 'beautifully uncanny' horror from Kelsea Yu

Titan Books has acquired the rights to Demon Song, an "unsettling" gothic horror novella from Kelsea Yu, inspired by Chinese mythology. 

World English language rights were acquired by fiction editor Daniel Carpenter from Jennifer Azantian at the Azantian Literary Agency for publication in September 2025. 

"I think readers are going to be properly spooked (or if you’re a bit more sensitive like I am, be jumpy for a week!) by this gorgeous, propulsive modern horror from Shirley Jackson Award-nominated Kelsea Yu," said Azantian.  

The novella, a "beautifully uncanny horror", follows a young girl and her mother who move to a Beijing opera house and discover a demonic secret.

Carpenter commented: “Like the opera house that provides the setting, this beautiful gothic horror is hiding all kinds of secrets, and it takes an author of extraordinary talent to unfold a story the way Kelsea Yu has with Demon Song. It will chill you to the bone and break your heart, sometimes in the same scene, and as with all the best horror, it both looks to the past and breaks brand new ground.”

Yu added: “Demon Song began as a short story inspired by my first gothic love, ’Phantom of the Opera’, modernised and set in a haunted Beijing opera house – but it quickly outgrew its initial confines. I’m proud of the book it has become and thrilled to be publishing with Daniel and the fantastic team at Titan Books. Thank you to my brilliant agent, Jennifer Azantian, for making this happen!”