Strawberry Hill After Dark: Essie Fox on Wuthering Heights
Friday 27th February 2026 | Arrival from 6pm, Talk and Q&A 7pm
Timed to coincide with the publication of Essie Fox’s highly anticipated new novel — a bold retelling of Wuthering Heights from Catherine Earnshaw’s perspective — this special candlelit event invites you to explore the enduring power of the Gothic, from Horace Walpole to Emily Brontë.
Your evening begins with exclusive after-hours access to Strawberry Hill House, allowing you to wander Walpole’s fantastical Gothic villa by twilight. Guests will then gather in the Gallery for a relaxed, in-conversation-style talk and Q&A with Essie Fox, exploring themes of obsession, landscape, architecture, ghosts, and the emotional darkness that defines the Gothic tradition.
The event concludes with a book signing. Guests may choose to pre-purchase a signed copy of Essie Fox’s new novel with their ticket or buy a copy on the night (subject to availability).
Tickets: Standard £25
What’s included:
- After-dark access to Strawberry Hill House
- In-conversation talk and audience Q&A with Essie Fox
- A glass of fizz or soft drink
- Book signing
- Optional pre-purchase of a copy of the novel
Why here?
Strawberry Hill House was created by Horace Walpole, author of The Castle of Otranto (1764) the world’s first Gothic novel. Strawberry Hill After Dark events invite audiences to experience the house as Walpole intended — atmospheric, theatrical, and alive with stories after nightfall.
About the Novel:
The greatest tragic love story ever told – but this time, Catherine tells it herself. In Catherine, Essie Fox breathes new life into Wuthering Heights, transforming a gothic masterpiece into a haunting confession of obsession, madness and love that even death cannot end.
With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw's death leaves Hindley, Catherine's brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.
Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.
Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and seek redemption.
About the Author:
Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, then the book publishers George Allen & Unwin – before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Always an avid reader, Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. The Fascination, published in 2023, was a Sunday Times bestseller and was followed by Dangerous in 2025. She has lectured at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London. Essie is the host of the podcast Talking the Gothic.
Ticket options
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Friday 27th February 2026 | Arrival from 6pm, Talk and Q&A 7pm
Timed to coincide with the publication of Essie Fox’s highly anticipated new novel — a bold retelling of Wuthering Heights from Catherine Earnshaw’s perspective — this special candlelit event invites you to explore the enduring power of the Gothic, from Horace Walpole to Emily Brontë.
Your evening begins with exclusive after-hours access to Strawberry Hill House, allowing you to wander Walpole’s fantastical Gothic villa by twilight. Guests will then gather in the Gallery for a relaxed, in-conversation-style talk and Q&A with Essie Fox, exploring themes of obsession, landscape, architecture, ghosts, and the emotional darkness that defines the Gothic tradition.
The event concludes with a book signing. Guests may choose to pre-purchase a signed copy of Essie Fox’s new novel with their ticket or buy a copy on the night (subject to availability).
Tickets: Standard £25
What’s included:
- After-dark access to Strawberry Hill House
- In-conversation talk and audience Q&A with Essie Fox
- A glass of fizz or soft drink
- Book signing
- Optional pre-purchase of a copy of the novel
Why here?
Strawberry Hill House was created by Horace Walpole, author of The Castle of Otranto (1764) the world’s first Gothic novel. Strawberry Hill After Dark events invite audiences to experience the house as Walpole intended — atmospheric, theatrical, and alive with stories after nightfall.
About the Novel:
The greatest tragic love story ever told – but this time, Catherine tells it herself. In Catherine, Essie Fox breathes new life into Wuthering Heights, transforming a gothic masterpiece into a haunting confession of obsession, madness and love that even death cannot end.
With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw's death leaves Hindley, Catherine's brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.
Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.
Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and seek redemption.
About the Author:
Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, then the book publishers George Allen & Unwin – before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Always an avid reader, Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. The Fascination, published in 2023, was a Sunday Times bestseller and was followed by Dangerous in 2025. She has lectured at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London. Essie is the host of the podcast Talking the Gothic.
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