Carmilla : F. Sheridan Le Fanu

Available in Paperback & Hardback Editions, 106pp  

In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest - the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day...

Carmilla, like other vampire tales produced during the 19th century, was heavily influenced by Victorian anxieties about social and moral decay, homosexuality being one of them. However, Le Fanu never portrayed homosexuality as an antagonistic trait nor was it ever seen as behaviour deserving of punishment.

Carmilla presents a world where women are free to express their sexuality. 26 years before Dracula, Le Fanu created a story depicting the modern concept of the vampire with one major alteration: women held the main and active roles in the story. Carmilla & Laura develop a relationship, and in what was a revolutionary stance in the literature of the time, their behaviour was not punished but encouraged.

Since it’s publication in 1872, Carmilla has been represented in almost every artistic form including film, poetry, animation, and opera. 

We are delighted to make this new edition available to mark Pride Month 2024 to compliment last year's LGBTQI forgotten classic IMRE (which is still available along with a load more goodies in our Pride Store)