A Long-Lost Short Story by ‘Dracula’ Author Bram Stoker Has Been Rediscovered After 130 Years

Given his contributions to the horror genre as well as vampiric lore, the works of Dracula author Bram Stoker are well-chronicled. But even prominent writers can see their work slip through the cracks. In Stoker’s case, one short story saw publication before being forgotten for over 130 years and has only now been found.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Dublin resident and writer Brian Cleary took a leave of absence from work following cochlear implant surgery to address hearing loss. He visited the National Library of Ireland to delve deeper into the works of Stoker, who is among his favorite authors. (Stoker also hailed from Ireland.)

In 2023, while looking at newspaper archives, Cleary found a mention of “Gibbet Hill,” a Stoker short story, in the pages of an 1891 edition of The Daily Mail. Cleary—a Stoker enthusiast who thought he was familiar with most of the author’s bibliography—didn’t recognize the title. Further perusing led to the story itself, which was published in December 1890 but does not appear to have ever been reprinted.

“I sat in the library flabbergasted, that I was looking at potentially a lost ghost story from Stoker, especially one from around the time he was writing Dracula, with elements of Dracula in it,” Cleary told AFP. “I sat looking at the screen wondering, am I the only living person who had read it? Followed by, what on Earth do I do with it?”

The logical step was to confer with a Stoker historian. He reached out to Paul Murray, a Stoker biographer, who was able to confirm that Cleary had made a valuable find—one that hadn’t likely been read by anyone since its original 1890 publication, seven years before Dracula was released. Murray said it’s likely Stoker was jotting down ideas for that book around this time.

 “Gibbet Hill” is a story of unease, with three murderers strung up on improvised gallows to serve as a warning to criminals. One traveler encounters the bizarre scene as well as three children who might be more dangerous than they appear. Stoker imbued it with unsettling imagery (wiggling worms) and a tone similar to the one he would later employ in Dracula.

Naturally, a “new” Stoker story was thought to be deserving of wider release. “Gibbet Hill” will be available in print with illustrations by Irish artist Paul McKinley beginning November 18. Proceeds from the book, which is being published by the Rotunda Foundation, will go toward funding for research on infant hearing loss. Stoker’s mother was an advocate for people who are hard of hearing.

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