Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (or as she was known 'Mrs. Gaskell') was born as Elizabeth Stevenson in Chelsea, London in 1810. Gaskell was a prolific author, writing short stories, novels and non-fiction of social history as well as a notable biography of Charlotte Bronte. It would have been unusual had she not also written ghostly tales, because she lived at a time when chilling tales were highly popular. Indeed she was persuaded to do so by Charles Dickens, an enthusiast for the form who had also encouraged several other writers to make forays into the genre. Perhaps inevitably Gaskell's scary, gothic fiction appeared in Dickens' magazine 'Household Words, ' a showcase also for several of her contemporaries. Gaskell's stories not only 'ticked all the boxes' commercially, but her ability ensured that her stories, well regarded in her own time, have endured as among the best examples of Victorian supernatural fiction. Apart from her supernatural writings Mrs. Gaskell is especially remembered today for her novels, 'Cranford' and 'North and South.' Volume one of Mrs. Gaskells gothic chillers includes the novellas 'Lois the Witch, ' 'The Grey Woman, ' and 'The Poor Clare, ' two novelettes 'The Doom of the Griffiths, ' and 'The Crooked Branch' plus seven short stories and a poem.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.