but first, a secret.
a great big one.
One even I don’t know yet
Until my Ship Comes in…
Welcome to Night by Night, the official chronicle from The Datura Press. This is the story-well where our narrative universe comes to life, one tale at a time. We’re building a new world of interconnected stories, beginning with the gothic folklore of Narcisa Before Narcisa and continuing with the upcoming sagas of Walker and Manton.
Here, we go beyond the page to create a truly immersive experience. Explore our developing intellectual property through transmedia storytelling—from audio excerpts and exclusive illustrations to deep dives into our lore and creative process. Whether you're a reader seeking a new world to get lost in or an industry professional tracking the development of a character-driven franchise, this is your front-row seat.
Follow along, night by night, as our stories unfold.
Groan Alone: Why Every Castle is Haunted
Why is every castle haunted? In this Datura Press essay, we explore the grotesques and living corridors of Mervyn Peake’s Titus Groan and trace their influence on our own modern gothic novel, Narcisa Before Narcisa.
What makes your castle’s corridors creak?
The Datura Tapes #1: Kathleen’s Jukebox
The bewitching waitress with more moxie than a thousand thriller molls, is, to intents and purpose, is the first person Agent Walker has ever met. What was the soundtrack to that meet? We had some ideas, what would you spin?
So unplug the jukebox, and do us all a favour…
That Gum You Like, Is Back in style
Before watch alongs and social media TV. There was ‘stuff-on-TV’, so what was it about the Twin Peaks that made us endlessly discuss and chatter about what the hell it all meant? And why does it still haunt our dreams now?
Is anything what it seems?
Possessed: how I made a deal with the devil
Super-crazy supernatural cavalcade? Absurdist social satire. Biting critiques of authority and people’s submission? What about all of the above? What is it about this novel that still grabs us now and made Dom read it all in one go the first time?
What turns your bathwater cold?
The Six Books That Built the Datura Press
Every press has an origin myth. Ours isn’t a manifesto; it’s a bookshelf. Discover the 6 foundational books that built our DNA—from annotated vampires and mythic deserts to hard-boiled dialogue. They are the bloodline for our new gothic, noir, and surreal tales. See our North Stars.
What’s on your shelf?