History hasn’t been kind to marginalized people. We have seen how those in power restrict women and other individuals who don't conform to rigid societal expectations.

Voices are silenced.

History is distorted to forget their stories.

The injustice of this–important varied experiences being intentionally excluded from the historical record, filtered through religious doctrine or a pen held in the hand of a man–was the catalyst for our first anthology from Grave Belles Press.

This isn’t just happening historically; it continues today. More than half the horror section of almost every bookstore is Stephen King or other male writers. It was discouraging to see so few female and non-binary voices take up space on those bookshelves. Art, whether written or visual, is meant to convey the complexity of our human experiences, and we see so many being left out of these spaces. How can one group of people tell the varied stories of others, especially when that group’s privilege imparts a crucial bit of leverage to their very existence? The short answer is they can’t.

So, we decided to do something about it.

Pull up a chair and grab a drink, or maybe a knife — whatever makes you feel safe. The female and non-binary authors found in the pages of our stories do more than just scare you… they take your heart and squeeze it tight, leaving you confronting dark truths within yourself and those around you.

Jess, Amanda, and Julia