Durham Gaol was built in 1819, and many were despatched on the gallows within (now the Safer Custody Suite). There is talk of exorcisms – of notice boards suddenly stripped clean, boots thrown over the landing, a stranger sliding through walls…

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Remembering unexplained events and handed-down tales got people talking, often at the same time, “I don’t believe any of that but a weird thing…” everybody had a story so a group of prisoners and staff decided to write a book.

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Jacqueline Woods, Sheila Mulhern and The Library, supported by HMP Durham, submitted a bid to the Arts Council for £15,000 to fund a series of workshops with parallel groups, one inside and the other outside, culminating in an anthology of Ghost stories and a Ghost Walk created by Professor O’Neill and Dr Hill of Durham University. Carl Clayton patiently answered all questions and the bid was successful.

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On September 10th in HMP Durham, eleven people, young and old, turned up for the first inside session, and five members of the public attended the Tithe Barn two days later.

Both groups met weekly in the Library or in the secret Museum. There were language barriers to overcome (one writer had to relay his story in Arabic to a friend, who translated it into Dutch and then into English, in which it was submitted to the Librarian, Alison James, who typed it up before the feedback made the same journey in reverse, taking in various checks), others have had no formal education and are dealing with difficult situations but everyone took a leap of faith, read aloud, and were unfailingly supportive and honest.

At Librarian, Jonathan Grimes’s, suggestion we gathered in the library every Wednesday evening, for popcorn and twenty minutes of The Twilight Zone and debate before everyone was dashed back to the wing.

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The participants were outstanding as were The Prison Libraries Teams in both Durham and Frankland and Cheryl Adamson helped make it happen at Brasside.

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It didn’t always go to plan; there was never enough time, workshops were interrupted or cancelled, participants waylaid, shipped out or released and paperwork occasionally melted but we had Lynda Elliott in our corner. She supported us from the start and encouraged us to develop the project, allowing guest speakers and a range of events. In an environment where it is safer to say ‘No’ this is appreciated.

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Irene Garrow of English PEN has provided support throughout, finding funds for workshops in Frankland and also offering an Author Visit at a critical point; the group suggested the musician and poet, Kate Tempest, who duly turned up in the library and gave an electrifying performance.

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Dr Ariadne Schulz answered questions ‘on the broadest range of subjects’, including the moon and shoes. Dick East gave an illuminating talk on the history of HMP Durham and the changing role of the Prison Officer (and the changing nature of contraband plus examples) up to the present day.

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Dick Ward (The Art Teacher) and Mark Alder (The Map) came in to introduce drawing, which thrilled some and mortified others but it served to focus the senses, sharpen the writing and some unexpected images were produced.

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A librarian and a young lifer, both ghost story afficionados, volunteered to collate and review a reading list, which DCC then sourced and donated.

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All the images (except two) illustrating the stories were produced on the inside, with only pencil, paper, some indelible charcoal and vague instructions.

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Former Officer, and professional photographer, Ben Taylor was commissioned to make a photographic record and produced some great pictures. (His team of Young Offenders at HMP Deerbolt had a tight deadline to transfer these onto canvas in time for The Walk but they delivered.)

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On 31st October, all those who could, joined us for the engrossing Crime Walk, a kaleidoscope of changing attitudes to crime and punishment. The mother of our reviewer attended as our special guest and read To An Astronaut, the poem he’d written for the project. She talked of her immense pride in her son.

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Everybody has given more than we’d ever imagined and we are indebted to all involved. It’s been a blast. And very educational.