You are warmly invited to join us for a very special candle-lit Halloween celebration of our brand new edition of Joan Aiken’s ghost story The Haunting of Lamb House, at the beautiful National Trust Lamb House in Rye where the book is set!
There will be a reading from the book by Joan's daughter Lizza Aiken, who will also be in conversation with Manderley Press publisher Rebeka Russell and the book's illustrator Annabel Pearl about the fascinating literary heritage of Lamb House itself.
Thursday October 29th, 2026
6-8pm
Lamb House, Rye
Candle-lit spooky reading from the book by the author’s daughter Lizza Aiken
Conversation with Manderley Press Publisher and the book’s illustrator Annabel Pearl
Seasonal shopping and special art print signing
Tickets to this event include entry to Lamb House after hours
Refreshments are also included (non-alcoholic mulled apple cider)
Booking essential as spaces are extremely limited
About The Book
When an ancient diary is discovered in Lamb House, and its tragic secrets revealed, the past and present are mysteriously entwined with fact and fiction, and history and haunting, thereby resurrecting the life and work of two of the house’s most famous real-life residents: Henry James and E.F. Benson.
The Haunting of Lamb House is a modern gothic masterpiece, set in and inspired by Lamb House in Rye - one of England’s most celebrated literary and historic houses - and written by master storyteller Joan Aiken (author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase).
Joan Aiken, who grew up around the corner on Mermaid Street in Rye, wrote this captivating tribute to Lamb House in the 1990s. Using the ghostly experiences of Henry James who lived in the house a century earlier and glimpsed there the spectre of an old man in the garden, and the life of E.F. Benson, who used Lamb House as the setting for several of his most chilling supernatural tales, she has conjured up an unforgettable and spine-chilling meditation on the timeless, haunting, power of place.
Seasonal shopping
There will be a selection of Manderley Press books, cards and art prints available to purchase before and after the panel discussion (alas, credit card payments only) and illustrator Annabel Pearl will be signing copies of her matching art print of the book’s front cover.
Information about Lamb House
You can find information about opening times, prices, facilities, accessibility and directions at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/lamb-house and if you have any queries at all, please do drop me a line at rebeka@manderleypress.com
Can’t make it to the event? You can order copies of The Haunting of Lamb House here!
Each book ordered through the website is wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a matching silk ribbon, free of charge - and also includes an exclusive bookmark, designed by Annabel Pearl, to complement the cover design.
Click here to order!