Abstract

Horror literature for children is becoming more and more studied, but a history is yet to be written. An intertextual approach might be one point of access, especially from a crossover point of view. According to Swedish scholars, Sweden has no horror tradition in literature while there actually is a strong one, not in the least for children, to this day undiscovered by scholars, and not seldom in intertextual dialogue with a European tradition, for instance English Gothic. In my lecture I will map this tradition for the first time, and also suggest a general definition of Horror in literature and other arts.

Mattias Fyhr is Associate Professor in Literature. His books include De mörka labyrinterna. Gotiken i litteratur, film, musik och rollspel (The Dark Labyrinths: The Gothic in Literature, Film, Music and Role-Playing Games, 2003) and Död men drömmande. H P Lovecraft och den magiska modernismen (Dead But Dreaming: H P Lovecraft and the Magical Modernism, 2006). A two-volume survey of the Swedish horror tradition in literature, including Children’s Literature is forthcoming.