Halloween: Spooky stories of 2021 by Indian authors that will keep you up all night

With a slight nip in the air, the season of scary costumes and spooky tales is here! While Halloween has its roots from the Gaelic festival of Samhain, over the years it is now celebrated with great enthusiasm and excitement in many countries including India. As we gear up to celebrate Halloween on October 31, here we list down some spooky stories penned by Indian authors which were released this year. These scary stories will keep you up all night this Halloween weekend!

Photo: Canva

Beloved children's author Ruskin Bond puts together spooky tales from the hills and personal essays in this book. These are stories of haunted houses, forests and ghosts dwell, and of lesser-known paranormal activities in the mountains.

Photo: Rupa Publications

'Kaali Awaazein' is a podcast, which is written and directed by Mantra. The 10-episodes in the series are narrated by megastar Amitabh Bachchan. 'This psychological thriller is inspired by ghost stories, supernatural sightings and strange phenomena reported from the most haunted places across India. Every episode features a new story and an immersive 3D sound experience that will place you at the very centre of the story', reads a statement from Audible.

Photo: Audible

'The Ramsays, India's first family of horror, are synonymous with the supernatural and gore. Through their films and series they introduced India to churails that floated across the screen, ghouls that woke up from eerie graveyards, and houses that buzzed with ghosts. But few knew that behind the production drama, elaborate sets, and haunting showtunes, there was a more sinister story. For the Ramsays, the supernatural wasn't just stuck to the screens and camera - it creeped into their lives, too,' reads the book's blurb. In this book, author and FU Ramsay's granddaughter, Alisha Kirpalani writes about the chilling stories she has grown up listening to or experiencing.

Photo: HarperCollins India

Gaurav Tiwari is best-known for starting the Indian Paranormal Society but a few years back, he was mysteriously found dead at just 32. In this book, Abhirup Dhar writes about the life, death and legacy of Gaurav Tiwari, who was India’s first paranormal investigator. The book will be adapted for screen soon.

Photo: Westland

Popular author Venita Coelho's new book 'Dark Tales', as the title suggests, is a collection of over 10 horror short stories from India for teenagers and adults.

Photo: Penguin

'Buri Nazar' is a supernatural thriller written by playwright Madhuri Shekar, and adapted into Hindi by Noopur Sinha. The story is told by a series of telephone calls and voicemails, which are narrated by noted actors like Supriya Pathak Kapur, Sayani Gupta and Rithvik Dhanjani. You can listen to it on Audible.

Photo: Audible

'Mortuary Tales' is a compelling debut book by Kashif Mashaikh and it has stories of wisdom and supernatural elements. 'For the past three decades, Jeevanram has worked the night shift at the mortuary of the Grand Trunk Hospital in Mumbai. At the sunset of his career, he is joined by a young apprentice who is clearly uncomfortable when confronted by death and disease, and the social apathy that has crept into the system. The apprentice is afraid to face his fears; but through the nine dark tales Jeevanram tells him, the young man begins to understand the purpose of life and death, of love and loss, of loneliness, guilt and everything in between,' reads the book's blurb.

Photo: Westland