Anais Shelley, an English major from Danzey, Alabama, will host a free online scholarly conference on scary literature from October 16-18, 2025. 

“Things That Go Bump in the Night: An International Literary Conference on All Things Scary” was inspired by Shelley’s love for literature and passion for research.

“The goal of this conference is to create a safe space for students who are interested in dipping their toe into conference presenting and to get feedback on projects that they would like to develop,” she said.

Her choice to focus on supernatural and horror literature came from trying to find a topic that would translate well in the academic world, while still having fun.

 “We know that there are many fans out there of scary movies, but during Halloween season, these often outshine their literary counterparts,” Shelley said. “It’s worth noting that it’s these works, like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the books of Stephen King, that initially kickstart a lot of these films, so they have absolutely earned their place in our conversations.”

Several submissions have already been received, and the current topics range from authors Stephen King and Stephanie Meyer to contemporary takes on folklore. Presentations will be given in the form of papers, PowerPoint, digital infographics and posters. Shelley hopes to also have interesting speakers and a panel of creative writing readings.

Shelley also shared that despite the time differences, the most rewarding part about planning this conference has been connecting with people from all around the world.

“There are researchers that I would never have the opportunity to meet otherwise, but we have been brought together for this conference based on a love for frightful storytelling,” she explained. “While some of the logistics, like scheduling times and finding a platform to keep this conference free, have been difficult, nothing so far has taken away from the privilege to make something like this happen with Troy University.”

The conference is open to undergraduate and graduate students, and while the conference is focused on literature, Shelley says that students don’t have to be an English major to participate. Presenters are welcome to submit proposals from now until September 19, 2025.

For more information or for help putting together a proposal, please contact Anais Shelley at ashelley226206@troy.edu.