Rottenheart: launching Kat Dunn's new Gothic Horror with Kirsty Logan

Bringing dark tendrils to a summer night, we're thrilled to the bone to be hosting the Edinburgh launch of a new gothic horrow from the frociously talented Kat Dunn!

A visceral tale of grief and madness, Rottenheart exhumes the heart of Hamlet to tell a fearless queer love story laced with an unforgettable haunting, asking whether we can truly outrun our suffering, or if we are forever indebted to the vengeful dead.

To bring the book into the world, we have Kirsty Logan hosting Kat, in the bookshop garden: join us...

The Book:

Odette and her best friend Cecilia live between their grand homes in Hampstead and the imposing, ancient Herne House in Suffolk. Odette’s mother, Lydia, is almost parasitic in her neediness, but despite her, Odette and Cecilia come of age together—free to roam, to learn, and to love.

When Lydia inexplicably sickens and dies, a dark veil falls. Odette’s father retreats to his study, while her aunt—the cold and cruel Claudine—increasingly takes charge of the household. Lost in grief and spiraling into madness, Odette disappears into the shadows, leaving Cecilia alone and with her affections tested.

As Claudine is announced as Odette’s new stepmother, the girls reckon with this final betrayal, and a sinister presence awakens.

Our Speakers:

Kat Dunn is also the author of Hungerstone, Bitterthorn, and the Dangerous Remedy trilogy. She grew up in London and has lived in Japan, Australia and France. She has a BA in Japanese from SOAS and an MA in English from Warwick. She’s written about mental health for Mind and The Guardian, and worked as a translator for Japanese television.

Kirsty Logan is a Scottish writer of novels and short stories. Her latest book is No & Other Love Stories, a collection of very (very) dark tales of love. Her other books are The Unfamiliar, Now She is Witch, Things We Say In The Dark, The Gloaming, The Gracekeepers, A Portable Shelter, and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales.