The Spectral Visions brand arose from the popular and respected ‘Spectral Visions’ academic conference, which is hosted annually at the University of Sunderland. Each year, the Spectral Visions conference endeavours to lift the veil on the enduringly popular genre of Gothic, pulling in high numbers of eminent academics and students from around the UK. The event allows undergraduate students interested in postgraduate study to get a taste of what we have to offer here at the University of Sunderland, whilst acting as a fantastic display of academic passion for those who are considering an undergraduate degree in English.
Spectral Visions provides a diverse platform for students, enabling its members to work with professional writers and renowned academics, and together with Spectral Visions Press, trains students to become accomplished professional publishers and editors.
Each year, the Spectral Visions conference endeavours to lift the veil on the enduringly popular genre of Gothic, pulling in high numbers of eminent academics and students from around the UK.
Spectral Visions, together with Spectral Visions Press, trains students to become accomplished professional publishers and editors.
Spectral Visions Press
Spectral Visions Press is a Gothic publishing house located here at the University. With support from academics and industry professionals, it is largely run by our students, across all levels of study. It specialises in publishing outstanding works of creative writing, niche pieces, and writing concerned with, and inspired by, Gothic literature and Gothic studies.
The publishing house materialised following the success of ‘Spectral Visions: The Collection’ in 2014, and now boasts an impressive catalogue of book-length publications which are available from bookshops and Amazon (see below).
At Spectral Visions Press, we welcome all students from across the University to get involved and to earn valuable work experience. We’ll even provide you with a work reference upon completion of your work with us, in addition to the academic reference you’ll get from tutors on your course.
Spectral Visions: Pandemic
Our students’ latest collection is entitled 'Spectral Visions: Pandemic' and aims to ‘give a voice to the voiceless’ by enabling homeless and disadvantaged people in Wearside to write creatively about their experiences of living during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our students worked very closely with Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen to do this, using the skills they have gained at university to empower the contributors to take part. The full project, from editing, team development, team roles, proof-reading and communicating with outside agencies was undertaken by the students themselves, and we believe this is a wonderful example of students giving back to their community, demonstrating the real outward-facing and philanthropic nature of our student body.
Publications
Check out our staff and students' publications on Amazon:
- 'A Bestiary of Monsters' by Connor Taylor and Samantha Tumilty
- 'Grim Fairy Tales' by Colin Younger
- 'Grimmer Fairy Tales' by Jane Carrick and Rachel Collinge
- 'Horrorscopes' by Heather Steinson
- 'Living Libraries' by Erik Plet and Bianca Neagu
- 'Melodramatic Mayhem and Many Murderous Mishaps' by Michael Calder
- 'Spectral Visions: The Collection' by Colin Younger
- 'Tarot Collection' by Danielle Shaw and Tegan Stevenson
- 'Wear'd Tales' by Emily Crosby, Holly Whitelaw and Connor Taylor
- 'Weird, Wild and Wonder Tales' by Mariana Magalhães Duarte
Find out more
To learn more about the Spectral Visions conference and Spectral Visions Press, please contact Alison Younger and Colin Younger.
Published: 26 February 2021