What scares Aotearoa New Zealand? Is it the bloodthirsty, mutant livestock in Black Sheep or is it the rural, looming farmhouse in Butcherbird? Whatever it may be, there is no denying that our horror stories are something special.

Award-winning horror writer Tabatha Wood remarked that “New Zealand Horror offers a unique perspective that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world”.

We bring together Aotearoa’s foremost horror writers and filmmakers to dissect the style, stories and scares of our local horror scene. In conversation with horror academic Lorna Piatti-Farnell, join the multiple award-winning writers Lee Murray, Cassie Hart (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio) and Kathryn Burnett as they explore the rise of horror’s popularity, why 2023 was such a great year for horror in Aotearoa New Zealand, and where the genre might be going next.