Crown Derby Plate, The

An antique collector hears of an ancient woman with a large collection of china. Hoping to complete a particular set, the collector pays a visit to the woman’s ramshackle house, where she makes a terrifying discovery. This 1933 story confirmed Marjorie Bowen as one of our best ghost story writers.

AUTHOR

Marjorie Bowen

Marjorie Bowen (1885–1952) was a prolific British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history, and biography.

Seth is the cartoonist behind the comic-book series Palookaville, which started in the stone age as a pamphlet and is now a semi-annual hardcover. His comics have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Best American Comics, and McSweeney’s Quarterly. His illustrations have appeared in numerous publications including the cover of the New Yorker, The Walrus, and Canadian Notes & Queries. He is the subject of a recent documentary from the National Film Board of Canada, Seth’s Dominion. Seth lives in Guelph, Ontario, with his wife Tania and their two cats in an old house he has named “Inkwell’s End.”

Reviews

Praise for Christmas Ghost Stories

“These are beautiful little books … [My family’s] been reading them at home, and we’ve actually put them away so we can re-read them on Christmas Eve.”—Matt Galloway, CBC’S Metro Morning

“For Seth, this is really a labour of love.”—Peter Robb, Ottawa Citizen

“The two classic Christmas ghost stories that Seth and Biblioasis fashioned last year were a huge success for us. Nifty packaging, striking design—so Seth.”—Ben McNally, Ben McNally Books, Toronto, ON

“Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories series resurrects the legacy of fireside tales at Christmas with these beautifully illustrated editions.”—John Toews, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Winnipeg, MB

Praise for Seth

“[Seth’s work is like a] beautifully designed artifact out of time.”—The New York Times

“Writer and artist Seth has been an A-list talent in the literary comic book marketplace for a decade.”—Bookslut

“One of the most acclaimed cartoonists of this era.”—Noel Murray, The A.V. Club

“Seth keeps sliding and eliding our feel for the past—which in turn challenges our perspective on the present.”—The Washington Post