Horror author to speak October 4

Vernon Area Public Library is among the more than 200 Illinois libraries that will offer an online event with Stephen Graham Jones, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and New York Times bestselling author. Stephen Graham Jones will discuss scary stories, horror and other topics in a conversation with horror expert Becky Spratford. 

“Chills & Thrills with Stephen Graham Jones” will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, October 4, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Advance signup is required. Sign up online or by calling 224-543-1485.

Stephen Graham Jones is author of more than 30 novels, collections, novellas and comic books. His recent release Don’t Fear the Reaper is the sequel to his Bram Stoker Award–winning novel My Heart Is a Chainsaw.

Jones is the recipient of numerous awards, including four Bram Stoker Awards, three Shirley Jackson Awards, six This is Horror Awards, the LA Times Ray Bradbury Prize, the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, the Independent Publishers Award for Multicultural Fiction, the Alex and RUSA awards from the American Library Association, and the 2023 American Indian Festival of Words Writers Award. He was an NEA Fellow. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Joining Jones in conversation is Illinois librarian and readers advisory expert Becky Spratford. Spratford trains library staff worldwide on how to match books with readers. She also runs the critically acclaimed blog “RA for All.” A devout horror fan, Spratford writes a horror review column for Library Journal, is the author of “The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror,” and is a member of the Horror Writers Association. 

The event is being offered by more than 200 libraries across Illinois through a statewide collaboration, “Illinois Libraries Present” (ILP). This is the third season of programming offered by ILP.

ILP is funded in part by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a department of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). 

Other upcoming speakers in the ILP series include Netflix “Bake Squad” star Maya-Camille Broussard in November and psychotherapist and author Lori Gottlieb in December. Find details and information on the calendar of events at VAPLD.info/calendar.