Dare to venture into the fictional village of Withered Hill

Dare to venture into the fictional village of Withered Hill…

It’s as real as the pavement beneath your feet. Ambient Literature and Canelo offer a haunting immersive accompaniment to folk horror novel Withered Hill.

In David Barnett’s Withered Hill, described by horror maestro Laird Barron as ‘the ultimate nightmare destination’, a young woman finds herself trapped in an isolated Lancashire village. But is it the inhabitants keeping her prisoner, smiles on their faces, or something else lurking in the woods…?

To help promote the book, Ambient Literature, a pioneering developer of digital storytelling, have worked with Barnett and the Canelo team to produce an immersive audio experience like no other. One that transports you to Withered Hill no matter where you are in the world.

Taking the form of an audio walk, Roads to Withered Hill begins wherever you find yourself. It draws you into the eponymous village, tightening around you like a snare with every step. The whole experience is narrated by a mysterious voice. One that seems to know far too much about the nature of Withered Hill and the secrets the village protects.

Free to experience, the only requirement is a smartphone and a pair of earbuds (or headphones!). You’ll be asked to walk for about a mile, and as long as you have a phone signal at the start, the walk will run anywhere in the world. Start your journey.

Ambient Literature’s Tom Abba says

“This is the first time we’ve worked with a pre-existing text – and that brought its own set of narrative demands. But as soon as David explained the outline for Withered Hill, I knew we could rise to the challenge and bring readers to the village itself. Roads to Withered Hill builds on the work we’ve been making for the last few years. And the form we’ve developed lends itself beautifully to providing a reader an immersive experience that complements the novel, but also brings something unique to each person’s relationship with the book.”

If you find your way here, you’re already lost… A bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel

Beguiling, bewitching and brilliant. Withered Hill gets under your skin like some long-forgotten pagan spell. And keeps you turning the pages late into the night. A sinister mystery, dense and enchanting with more twists and turns than a gnarly old bramble” Jeremy Dyson, actor and author

Withered Hill By David Barnett

DAVID BARNETT is an author, journalist and comic book writer based in West Yorkshire. He writes in a range of genres for various publishers, works for a wide variety of press outlets including the Guardian, Independent and BBC, and in comics has written for DC, 2000AD and more. He is available for interviews and/or to write articles about the rise of the folk-horror genre.

“Midsommar, Evil Dead and Stepford Wives all in one, this twisted dark fairytale rooted in the modern world had me too scared to walk my dog in broad daylight. Masterful storytelling, sinister, sick and funny – if you’re as warped as this folklore horror gem” Lisa Rookes

INSIDE – A year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is. Surrounded by woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions. As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner. But is it the locals who keep her trapped or something else, lurking in the woods?

OUTSIDE – In London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her. With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating. Urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered Hill…

An utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel, with a truly devastating twist you have to read to believe. – Jim Mcleod Ginger Nuts of Horror

“Eerie, erotic and engrossing. A masterpiece of folkloric horror, one I suspect shall henceforth be mentioned in the same breath as The Wicker Man, as it well and truly deserves to be. You’ll emerge from Withered Hill a better person for having read it.” Bram Stoker Award winner, Kealan Patrick Burke

WITHERED HILL by David Barnett
Canelo | On Sale: 26 Sept 2024 | Paperback £9.99 | Ebook £3.99 ISBN: 9781804367513