NAME: Claire L. Smith
CREATIVE FIELD: Author / Visual Artist
WEBSITE: ClaireLSmith.com
CREATIVE LINKS:
Insta & TikTok: @clairelsmxth
CREATIVE BIO:
Her debut gothic horror novella, ‘Helena‘ was published by CLASH Books. Her coming-of-age horror novella, ‘When We Entered That House‘ was released from publisher Off Limits Press. Her most recent novel, ‘Agnes and Cat‘ is a body/folk horror story inspired by fae folklore.
She has also illustrated and designed covers for a range of presses and publications including Off Limits Press, Ghost Orchid Press, Cemetery Gates Media, The Ghastling Press, Tenebrous Press and more.
INTERVIEW
What got you into horror to begin with – what’s your core Horror memory?
Reading Edgar Allan Poe in Grade 9. Horror hadn’t appealed much to me up until that point, as all I’d ever experienced was really gory slasher films (they have grown on me now!).
Yet, when I first read The Tell Tale Heart in class, it blew my mind. I’d never experienced the horror genre in that way before, and it was mindblowing to discover that I did like horror. I just liked it in a very certain way. That was also when I started properly getting into writing as well.
Do you have a favourite horror subgenre (or more than one) and if so, what is it? What/Who are your favourite books/films/podcasts/artists/creatives working in that subgenre?
Gothic horror! Both classic and modern. I love troubled female protagonists, how the setting becomes a character, the psychological horror, the slow descent into madness and the history behind the subgenre.
My favourites are definitely Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman Perkins and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
What is the horror project of your heart – perhaps something you’ve already got out there, something you’re working on now, or something you’d like to do?
Definitely my horror / dark fantasy novel – Agnes and Cat.
It had started with my hyperfixation on classic fae folktales and how horrid those stories are (nothing like the fae smut that was popular at the time hehe). I just had to put it all into a book and I’m very proud of it. Here’s the back cover copy for those who are interested:
In 1981, eleven-year-old Agnes Hellaire lives with her troubled parents in the dark Redwood Forest. As her parents’ marriage continues to crumble, Agnes is approached by a magical black cat that is more than it seems. It offers to solve all her problems, and she gladly accepts.
However, as people close to Agnes begin to disappear; she realises there’s something dangerous lurking in the trees.
Over twenty years later, Agnes is infamous as the lone survivor of a ruthless mass murderer that was never caught. Despite the nightmare of her childhood, she has managed to find some semblance of peace. Until the killings suddenly resume, and another young child emerges from the forest, covered in blood.
As she slowly begins to descend into madness, Agnes begins to realize that Cat’s ‘help’ came with a price she is unable to pay and that the dead bodies will not stop until she fulfils her side of their deal.
Which 5 horror books can you not stop thinking about, or have influenced you most in some way? (If not books, you can pick 5 films, 5 pieces of art, 5 songs… or mix & match!)
1. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – Guillermo Del Toro’s work in general is a great inspiration for me, but Pan’s Labyrinth was the first movie of his that I saw. I wrote a whole essay in university about how he uses colour as a narrative tool, and it was the highest I’ve ever scored on an academic paper.
2. The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance – Not so much a horror, but it is a concept album about a soldier reaching the end of his life, and it has a lot of dark imagery, yet it’s somehow so vivid and raw. MCR in general is such a big inspiration to my writing, but this was the first of their work hat I listened to.
3. Hannibal (2013-2015) – I loved Silence of The Lambs, but this show has me by the throat. The visuals, the relationship between Will and Hannibal and the plot in general kept me hooked. I’d sell my soul for one last season.
4. The Lamb by Lucy Rose (2025) – This will go down as one of my favourite books. The slow burn, the sprinkling of folk tales woven into the narrative, and cannibalism being used as a metaphor for abuse and obsession. It was simply sublime.
5. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe – I’ve ranted on about Poe enough, but The Raven was what got me into horror poetry.
If you had to describe the tones and themes of your own work in terms of movies, books, songs, or art, what would you choose and why?
Based on vibes – Nosferatu (film, Robert Eggers, 2024), Fallen (album, Evanescence, 2003), Preacher’s Daughter (album, Ethel Cain, 2022) and Alice: Madness Returns (video game, 2011).
Introduce us to something you’ve created, and pitch it to the audience!
Did you know that female morticians were a thing during the Victorian era? I wrote a whole gothic horror novella about it with a serial killer twist. It’s called Helena (named after the My Chemical Romance song). Here’s the back cover copy!
On the outskirts of London, 1855, mortician and funeral director Helena Morrigan struggles with her limited finances and the heavy burdens of her past. Desperate to secure herself, she takes up residence in an aged house closer to the graveyard, closer to the lost souls that sense her torment and are determined to take her place in the mortal world.
As she tries to tame and free the ghostly figures around her, she becomes acquainted with the owners of the home, the recently orphaned siblings, Eric, Audrey and Christian Tarter. Yet, the souls she wants to save are on edge as a horrific serial killer runs rampant, giving Helena a boost in business and suspicion.
Against her best efforts, Helena is suddenly thrown into a bloody mystery where new and old friendships are tested, innocents are maimed and a horrific family secret that threatens her chance at a peaceful existence and her existence itself.