Friday 27th February 2026 | Arrival from 6pm, Talk and Q&A 7pm
Timed to coincide with the publication of Essie Fox’s highly anticipated new novel — a bold retelling of Wuthering Heights from Catherine Earnshaw’s perspective — this special candlelit event invites you to explore the enduring power of the Gothic, from Horace Walpole to Emily Brontë.
Your evening begins with exclusive after-hours access to Strawberry Hill House, allowing you to wander Walpole’s fantastical Gothic villa by twilight. Guests will then gather in the Gallery for a relaxed, in-conversation-style talk and Q&A with Essie Fox, exploring themes of obsession, landscape, architecture, ghosts, and the emotional darkness that defines the Gothic tradition.
The event concludes with a book signing. Guests may choose to pre-purchase a signed copy of Essie Fox’s new novel with their ticket or buy a copy on the night (subject to availability).
Tickets: Standard £25 | with novel £45
What’s included:
– After-dark access to Strawberry Hill House
– In-conversation talk and audience Q&A with Essie Fox
– A glass of fizz or soft drink
– Book signing
– Optional pre-purchase of a signed copy of the novel
Why here? Strawberry Hill House was created by Horace Walpole, author of The Castle of Otranto (1764) the world’s first Gothic novel. Strawberry Hill After Dark events invite audiences to experience the house as Walpole intended — atmospheric, theatrical, and alive with stories after nightfall.
Essie Fox’s Catherine reimagines Wuthering Heights with beauty and intensity – a haunting, atmospheric retelling that brings new life to a timeless classic and lays bare the dark heart of an immortal love.
Published by Orenda Books, 12 February 2026.
With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw’s death leaves Hindley, Catherine’s brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.
Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.
Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and to seek redemption.
Essie Fox is the Sunday Times bestselling author of seven historical novels, including The Somnambulist, shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and The Fascination, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Her work has twice been selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month, most recently for her gothic mystery Dangerous. She is the host of the podcast Talking the Gothic.
