A Monkey With Cymbals theatre company is holding a write-response activity during the UK tour of their show Haunted Shadows: The Gothic Tales of Edith Nesbit.

Writers from around the UK are asked to watch the show and then write a short Gothic story in response to it. The links to all of the tour dates for 2025-2026 can be found on the Haunted Shadows page on this website here: Haunted Shadows | Monkey With Cymbals
 
The competition will be judged by esteemed horror historian Jonathan Rigby, and the writers of the three most striking stories across the tour dates will each receive a copy of From the Dead: Dark Tales - a new anthology of Nesbit's weird fiction from Tartarus Press. In addition, the three stories will be published on the theatre company's website.

To enter, you just have to watch the show, then write a short story of no more than 3,500 words in response to it. Then send it as a PDF to amonkeywithcymbals@gmail.com with your name, phone number, and a copy of your ticket receipt. The closing date is 20 April 2026, but the winners will be announced at intervals from 1 December 2025.

Happy writing!