As the spooky season slowly approaches, we’re looking for creative writing and art submissions on the theme of ‘Welcome Hauntings’!

Cornwall is rich in folklore and stories of haunting – tales of giants, mermaids and ghostly creatures are woven into the Cornish landscape and culture. Charles Causley, passionately connected to his local heritage, often wrote about glimpses from the past that sneak into our lives. These old and mysterious stories helped him to better understand his environment and his own position in it. Hauntings in Charles’ poetry are often gentle and good-natured as they connect us to our heritage and invite us into a community. These ghosts don’t just linger in our memories; they become collaborators in the creative process, reminding us that imagination is always shaped by what came before.

Charles’ ‘Night before a Journey’ is one such poem that speaks of an air of uncertainty and longing but introduces balance and reassurance in the figure of the ‘house-ghost’. Further poems that interweave this spirit of the past with the present in surprising but comforting ways include ‘Sibard’s Well’, ‘On All Soul’s Day’, ‘Dockacre House’ and ‘Eden Rock’. If you are looking for inspiration for your own writing and art, these poems are the perfect place to start!

We are inviting submissions – poetry (a maximum of two pages), short fiction (2000 words maximum) and art and illustrations inspired by the prompt ‘Welcome Hauntings’.

Please send your submissions to themaker@causleytrust.org.

The deadline for submissions is 2 September.

The chosen creative writing and art will be published here on ‘The Maker’ for National Poetry Day on 2 October.

We look forward to welcoming your hauntings!