David M. Barnett

The Madness of Many: The Psychology of Folk Horror

Description

From isolated villages and inherited rituals to creeping paranoia and collective fear, folk horror explores the unsettling power of community and the dangers that emerge when belonging comes at a cost. 

Join acclaimed writers David Barnett and Andrew Michael Hurley alongside therapist and horror psychology speaker Katie Evans for a fascinating discussion on folklore, fear and the psychology of the collective. 

Together, they will explore why stories of superstition, moral panic and communal hysteria continue to captivate us and how folk horror transforms ordinary landscapes and close-knit communities into places of unease and dread. 

From ritual and conformity to isolation and obsession, this event examines what these unsettling stories reveal about belief, identity and the human need to belong.

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About the Author

David M. Barnett

David Barnett is an author and journalist based in West Yorkshire. His latest novel is Calling Major Tom, published by Trapeze. He writes mainly for the UK national press on books, culture and general topics, and is published regularly in the Guardian, Independent, and several magazines and online platforms.