Creator: Edited by May Seleste
Category: Anthology
Age Range: adult
Vibes: dark academia, gothic horror, ghosts, monsters, colonialism
In Short: A group of Asian authors and authors from the Asian diaspora collaborate to create the history of an elite school in England, where the halls are haunted by more than ghosts.
What's It About: The Mallory Thorne School of Excellence is an elite school in England, where the students strive toward academic superiority—despite the odds against them, especially if they’re not from the dominant demographic. Editor and creator May Seleste invited authors to write stories from the history of the school, giving readers a snapshot of the different eras, students, and staff over several decades. Sometimes, the monsters that haunt the school are truly monstrous—and other times, it’s the humans themselves who are the greatest danger.
Featuring stories from:Ai Jiang — “Introduction”
May Seleste — “Editor’s Foreword”
Audris Candra — “The Magic they Never Taught Us” (1960s—1990s)
Mirha Butt — “Twin Daggers” (1968)
Archita Mittra — “The Summoning” (1960s—1990s)
Katalina Watt — “Remain Nameless” (1990s—2000s)
Tehnuka — “Renewal Notice” (1990s—2000s)
Moachiba Jamir — “Of Mice and Pigeons" (2005)
L Chan — “Saints of Stained Glass” (2010s)
May Seleste — “Innocent Sinner” (2010s)
Mary Zambales — “Dedication” (2012)
Ashley Deng — “Behind the Eyes” (2013—2014)
Kavya Venkat — “Breaking into Finals” (2015)
Nathanael Boon — “Writing with Bite” (2020s)
Charlie Jiao — “The Housemaster's Cure” (Present day)
M.K. Sarraj — “A Memory Left Fighting” (Present day)
May Seleste - Editor
May is a South Asian Muslim author from London, and a psychoanalysis Masters graduate. She writes gothic fiction and dark fantasy, and has previously appeared in When Other People Saw Us, They Saw the Dead in 2022. She is currently querying her personal masterpiece - her gothic, dark fantasy novel. Her literature preferences lean more towards the dark and sometimes literary, with an unusual affinity for eerie tragedies or the viscerally uncomfortable. Bonus points for psychological elements - particularly anything referencing Jung.
Other than that, her hobbies include not leaving the house, caring for her bonsai, and admiring new K-pop videos. Whichever one requires the least talking. You can find her on social media at @Writermay_S.