Dr. Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Canterbury, explores how scary stories, from fairy tales to horror games, shape our lives and memories. Often dismissed as guilty pleasures, these experiences of "recreational fear" may offer surprising benefits. Dr. Harrington investigates how the thrill of fear can help us engage with and reimagine the world in new ways.

Her academic work on horror media has been featured internationally, and her arts and theatre writing has appeared in publications across Aotearoa.