Virago to publish a collection of thirteen of Daphne du Maurier’s darkest stories with an introduction by Stephen King
On Friday, 26th September, Virago Modern Classics announced through the journal The Bookseller that it will be publishing a new hardback edition of Daphne du Maurier’s supernatural stories. It is to be called After Midnight: Thirteen Chilling Tales for the Dark Hours, and it will bring together thirteen of Daphne’s most haunting stories for the first time. It will include such classic tales as The Birds and Don’t Look Now, and it will have an introduction by Stephen King.
Earlier this year The Bookseller had revealed how horror themes were experiencing a surge in fiction with record-breaking sales.
This collection will celebrate the dark heart of Daphne du Maurier’s writing. It will be published in October 2025 as a beautiful collectable hardback edition. It will also be available in an ebook edition. The timing of its publication will be perfect as a Halloween read for Daphne du Maurier’s fans, psychological thriller readers and lovers of horror.
Here is a quote about the new book from Virago:
Amid the reflections and twisting alleyways of Venice, a grieving couple are haunted by their lost child. On a sharp December day, the wind changes – and the birds begin to gather. A group of wartime scientists attempt to capture the power of death, an eye operation reveals a monstrous reality, and a woman returns home to find no trace of her existence.
From murderous desires to supernatural forces, du Maurier’s masterly stories stare into the dark heart of our relationships: between men and women, humanity and nature, love and obsession, the future and the past.
Virago, quite rightly, describe Daphne du Maurier as one of the most beloved writers of the 20th century and a multi-million-copy bestseller. She is best known for her novel Rebecca (1938), which W H Smith named as the nation’s favourite book of the past 225 years.
Olivia Barber, editorial director of Virago Modern Classics, said:
As a du Maurier obsessive I’m absolutely thrilled to be publishing this new collection of her darkest short stories, which showcase her confident, creative, chilling mastery of the form. And who else could introduce these iconic tales of psychological suspense and the uncanny but the legendary Stephen King?
Stephen King, when asked about writing the introduction to After Midnight: Thirteen Chilling Tales for the Dark Hours, said:
This will be more of an appreciation than anything of a scholarly nature. These stories are staggeringly good.
September 2024.