The following is an interview with author Jonathan Edward Durham regarding the release of the updated edition of the horror novel, Winterset Hollow, Through Union Square & Co. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Durham about revisiting the story for the updated edition, the story’s themes which may resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of the new edition of Winterset Hollow! For new readers, how would you describe the story’s overall premise?
Jonathan Edward Durham: Well, Winterset Hollow is a bit of a cross-genre story. Something of a contemporary take on a dark, twisty fairy tale, where the fantasy is the idea of meeting the characters from your favorite book.
Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends on a pilgrimage to the abandoned estate of the author of their favorite book, a timeless old story about a community of animals scrambling to save their yearly Barley Day feast.
But when they arrive to pay their respects to the book that changed their lives, they discover the story isn’t done with them yet, and that so much of what the world has always believed to be fiction, is actually fact. And that the history behind this book, and the man who wrote it, and even the characters on the pages, is far darker than they ever could have imagined.
Great stories live forever, but their readers don’t. And Barley Day just wouldn’t be Barley Day without a good hunt. Plus, it’s got a rabbit on the cover, so you just KNOW it’s gonna be good and traumatizing!
BD: What are you most excited for new and returning readers to enjoy with this updated edition of the book?
JED: I’m definitely excited for this story to reach a new audience, but also for returning readers, I’m most excited for the to be able to read the ENTIRE book within the book, which I wrote specifically for this new edition.
You see, the story itself includes excerpts from the book within the book, and for this new release, we thought it would be a nice thank you to all the readers out there to actually write that entire book and include it as an addendum. So, that’s what we did! So, not only do you get to read the book I wrote, you also get to read the book that E.B. Addington, the fictional author, wrote!
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums and genres. How do you feel that Eamon, Caroline, and Mark’s story may connect with and impact readers, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
JED: I don’t ever write a story with the aim of inspiring any conversations in particular, but there’s certainly a lot to chew on in this book. Lots of themes including how we deal with trauma and grief differently, how important stories are to those of us who have felt isolated in our lives, and ultimately how we sometimes have to reckon with our relationships to those stories as we learn more about the people who created them.
BD: What makes Union Square & Co. the perfect publishing partner for this story?
JED: Well, they’ve been great from day one. But the thing I’ve appreciated most about our relationship is that they really understood what an important book this has become to so many people, so they were very good about not wanting to change too much for this new edition. They really understood this story on a reader’s level, and I think that really shows in this updated version.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Winterset Hollow and your other work?
JED: You can find me all over the internet (lol). I’m on Instagram and Facebook and Threads and Bluesky. Those are your best bets for news and updates and that kind of thing. But you can also find me on Substack where I publish a humor column, as well as short stories, all of which are completely free to read. So, if you’re looking for some more of my writing, that’s definitely the best place to look!
