In 2023, Brian Cleary was browsing the National Library of Ireland when he uncovered a Bram Stoker short story called "Gibbet Hill" that's been lost since it was published in a Dublin newspaper in 1890.
Buythebook.ieThe cover of “Gibbet Hill,” the Bram Stoker short story that is set to be republished for the first time in 130 years.
In October 2023, Brian Cleary, a pharmacist and amateur historian, stumbled upon what every book enthusiast dreams of: a lost story by one of the most influential writers in history.
While casually browsing the archives at the National Library of Ireland, Cleary discovered an old ad in the Dublin Daily Express that referenced a short story by Bram Stoker titled “Gibbet Hill” — and no one, not even the experts, seemed to know about it. After checking bibliographies and finding no references to the story, Cleary set off on a mission to share his find with the world.
The rediscovered story is a quintessential Stoker spine-tingler with gothic horror themes. Now, “Gibbet Hill” is set to be read in public for the very first time at the Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin this month. And in November, it will be published once more, complete with illustrations. Thanks to Cleary’s persistence and a pinch of fate, Stoker fans everywhere will be able to enjoy the chilling story for the first time in over a century.
An Amateur Historian Stumbles Upon A Lost Short Story By Bram Stoker
Brian Cleary/Dublin Daily ExpressThe beginning of “Gibbet Hill,” which was printed in the Dublin Daily Express on Dec. 17, 1890.
In 2023, Brian Cleary was perusing the archives of the National Library of Ireland when he discovered a newspaper advertisement from the now-defunct Dublin Daily Express that mentioned a Bram Stoker short story called “Gibbet Hill.”
Cleary, a clinical pharmacist, was a life-long fan of author Bram Stoker’s work, including his most famous novel, Dracula. After discovering the ad, Cleary tracked down the short story, which had been printed in the Dublin Daily Express in full on Dec. 17, 1890.
“I was just gobsmacked,” Cleary told The New York Times. “I went and checked all the bibliographies, and it was nowhere. I wanted to turn around and shout, ‘Guess what I found?’ but there were proper researchers and academics there, and I was just an amateur.”
After reading the story himself, Cleary knew that he needed to share his discovery with the world. “I was just astounded, flabbergasted,” said Cleary. “I sat looking at the screen wondering, am I the only living person who had read it?”
Cleary contacted Paul Murray, an expert on Bram Stoker and author of From the Shadow of Dracula: A Life of Bram Stoker and received confirmation that “Gibbet Hill” was an authentic Stoker story. Finally, after a century in obscurity, “Gibbet Hill” was reintroduced to the public.
‘Gibbet Hill’ And The Life Of Gothic Horror Writer Bram Stoker
Wikimedia CommonsBram Stoker, the author of Dracula, c. 1906.
The story of “Gibbet Hill” begins with the hanging of three outlaws in Surrey, England, for the murder of a sailor. They are left at the gallows as a warning to other would-be lawbreakers. Then, an unnamed narrator meets three strange children near the murdered sailor’s grave and is subjected to a life-altering ritual.
“It’s a classic Stoker story,” Paul Murray explained to the Agence France-Press, “the struggle between good and evil, evil which crops up in exotic and unexplained ways.”
The story was published seven years before Stoker’s most famous work, Dracula, and may have served as the foundation for his later story’s darker themes. Experts believe that Stoker had just begun writing Dracula when he penned “Gibbet Hill,” so this discovery provides a chance to view his evolution as a gothic horror writer.
Now, “Gibbet Hill” will be republished with art by Irish artist Paul McKinley. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Charlotte Stoker Fund (named after Bram Stoker’s mother), which supports research on deafness in newborn babies.
Coincidentally, Brian Cleary had just lost hearing in one of his ears leading up to his discovery of “Gibbet Hill.” The auditory therapy he was receiving following a cochlear implant led him to spend more time in the National Library, where he eventually discovered the lost Stoker piece.
“I was like a baby learning to hear again,” he told The New York Times. “A lot of things wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t suffered from hearing loss.”
After reading about the rediscovered short story by Bram Stoker, learn the true story of Vlad the Impaler, the real-life historical figure that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Then, read about five popular legends inspired by real-life horror stories.
