There are places I return to because a story never quite leaves me when I walk away. Weston Woods is one of them. The trees, the exposed limestone, the quarry and the sea mist drifting up from the Bristol Channel all find their way into my imagination. Walking there, I wonder what a landscape might remember—and what would happen if it could speak. This Halloween, I’ll be returning to one of the places that inspires my Gothic writing for a special live storytelling event as the Raven Queen. And I have a story to tell you.
The Weight of the Forgotten is a Gothic tale set in Weston Woods, where buried secrets linger beneath the roots and broken quarry stone. At its heart stands the Raven Queen. She has watched the hill change. She remembers those who came to work its stone, those who disappeared beneath it, and those whose names slipped quietly from the town’s memory. When she invites a visitor to sit beside her, she begins with a boy who heard knocking inside a quarry wall. His brother had been buried there. And someone beneath the limestone knew his name. What follows is a fictional tale of grief, cruelty and remembrance, told by a keeper whose own part in the woods’ horrors is far from simple. If you hear your name beneath the stone, do not answer.
For this event, I’ll be stepping into the role of the Raven Queen myself. With long purple hair, a black cloak, spiderweb lace and a raven sceptre, I’ll bring her voice into the landscape that helped inspire her story. The raven has long held a place in my writing: watching from branches, lingering at thresholds and appearing where something is about to change. Here, that watcher has a voice—and memories she is ready to share. I want this to feel like an invitation to pause, listen and spend a little time inside one of my darker worlds.
The storytelling will be broadcast live on social media, so you can join me from wherever you are. Make yourself comfortable, bring something warm to drink and settle in for a tale from the woods above Weston-super-Mare. The broadcast time, platform and event link will be announced soon. Keep an eye on this website and my social media pages for the details. If you cannot watch live, the storytelling will also be shared afterwards across my platforms and podcast channels, giving you the chance to discover it later—or listen again.
This event is part of the growing world of E. L. Ravenheart. Alongside my fiction and podcast episodes, I’ll also be welcoming fellow horror writers for conversations about their books, their inspirations and the dark worlds they create. There is free content to explore on my websites, with further stories and exclusives available through one flat-rate subscription covering all subscriber-only areas. You can discover more at:www.elravenheart.co.uk and
www.elravenheart.com. For now, the Raven Queen is waiting. There is room beside the stone.Come closer. She has a story for you.E. L. Ravenheart.
🎧 The storytelling will also be shared afterwards across my platforms and podcast channels. Discover more stories, free podcast episodes and subscriber content:
https://www.elravenheart.co.uk
https://elravenheart.com The land remembers.
The Raven Queen will tell its stories.#ELRavenheart #TheRavenQueen #AllHallowsEve #LiveStorytelling #GothicHorror #Somerset