Ciara Armstrong is the owner and visionary behind Blood Stone Books, a bookshop based in Newcastle Upon Tyne that specialises in horrors, thrillers and ‘all things morbid’. After being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when she was 15, Ciara conjured up the idea for Blood Stone Books during her education. After graduating with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, Ciara worked hard on launching her dream bookshop.

We had the joy of chatting to Ciara about the popularity of folk horror books, her future hopes for Blood Stone Books and if she’s always been a bookworm.

Northern Folklore Archive: Were you a bookish child, or did your love for literature develop at a later time?

Oh, I was always a bookish kid. I was obsessed with the Horrible History books and I often stole thrillers from my mam, who also had a massive love of reading.

I credit her with encouraging my love and bringing me to the library to pick up something new to read. I’ll admit, after my degree and reading for study for so long, I really struggled to pick up a book for fun but thankfully, I’m out of that slump now!

Did your time in academia, graduating with an English Literature and Creative Writing degree, push you to pursue Blood Stone Books?

No, it was kind of the other way around if I’m honest.

I have always wanted to open a bookshop and when I was 20, I was doing research into how I could get started but I realised that no one was going to give a random 20 year old a business loan. Plus I was still living at home after struggling with my fatigue so I was a pretty isolated and naive 20 year old at that.

I decided the best thing to do was to go to uni, get a bit more life experience and come back to the bookshop idea when I was a bit older. I had always enjoyed literature and writing so I thought that would be the perfect fit. Besides, I figured I should know what I was talking about if I was going to sell books to someone.

It was always in the back of my mind but it was after finishing my masters and staring down the long barrel of ‘What the hell am I going to do with my life?’ that I decided it was time to go for it and see what I could do.

Do you enjoy choosing folklore/folk horror titles for your Blood Stone Coven Horror Book Club? Do you find a lot of people are interested in that genre, and does it spark a lot of discussion on the rise in popularity of folklore?

I absolutely love folklore! There’s always been something about it that drew me in, so much so that one of my final masters projects centred around North Eastern folklore, so when it comes to picking books for the book club, folk horror always seems to filter in.

I think part of it might be that I grew up in a small town in the countryside with an interest in witchcraft (like all weird young girls at some point) and I find a lot of crossover between that and folk horror as a genre. To me, the trappings of a folk horror novel feel almost familiar, more so than something set in a city or more urban environment.

Folk horror really seems to be having it's moment, with a lot of really brilliant books and films coming out! They're often the books that people vote the most for during book club. I often wonder if it is a response to the increased digitalisation of the world, with people reaching backwards for a time that is perceived as simpler and more ‘magical’ almost, something that is visible with the trends like analogue living on one end of the spectrum and tradwives on the other.

Horror is really good at taking these trends or themes and twisting them, tearing them apart and presenting them to you again to get you to think about it all in a new way. There is also the fact that folklore itself is rife with interesting ideas that are perfect for adaptation, often with enough detail that it can draw you in but enough left out that there's a freedom to write what you want. It's a really good starting point for a writer.

What are your future hopes for Blood Stone Books, where do you see it taking you?

To a cosy bookshop in the city centre, with a strong group of regulars, a little café and a fantastic schedule of events and talks where I can potter away for the rest of my life, reading interesting things and meeting interesting people.

Community is at the forefront of what I want to build. I don't want some sterile shop where you have to buy a book and leave immediately, I want a space where someone can come and know they will be among people like them, somewhere where you can linger, browse slowly and discover something new.

Currently I have the website which I continuously try to expand and I've been going to a lot of markets to meet people in person which is so much fun! I want to attend a lot more of these in the future and I'm working on hosting more social events to help bring people together. There’s always something in the works for Blood Stone Books.

Lastly (and I'm asking this to everyone) one of the Northern Folklore Duo is a huge film fan, so this question is purely for him... what is your favourite film?!

Would it surprise anyone if I said The Addams Family films? I grew up watching them and they hold a really special place in my heart, both The Addams Family and Addams Family Values.

A more recent favourite has to be the Knives Out films, specifically Wake Up Dead Man. Benoit Blanc is hilarious, murder mysteries are one of my favourite movie plots (Shout out Clue here too) and there's something about the third one that reminds me of Midsummer Murders or Agatha Christie’s Marple, TV shows I grew up on.

As an avid reader myself, I am itching to go over to Blood Stone Books and see what fantastic books are available. Ciara is such a passionate creative, it’s great to see her pursue her dreams! Do support Blood Stone Books by visiting their website Blood Stone Books | Gothic Books & Dark Literature. You can also follow them over on Instagram @blood_stone_books.

Ciara Armstrong - Blood Stone Books

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Ciara Armstrong - Blood Stone Books

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