Bob Fear

After deciding to make the most of his surname, Bob has been writing modern Gothic fiction for the past few years. Taking inspiration from current authors such as Catriona Ward and Andrew Michael Hurley, he also draws from the classic horrors by Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill.

Always putting queer characters front and centre, Bob’s work aims to give voice to those often ‘othered’ – for whom everyday horrors often loom large. Living and working from home in Cornwall, a bleak and storm-battered west country setting is also a pre-requisite.

Bob has previously won the Spotlight First Novel Award, earned the runner-up spot in Jericho Writers’ Friday Night Live event and a place in the longlist of The Literary Consultancy’s Pen Factor competition.

He is currently one of the eight-strong Word Space cohort for 2024-25, run by Literature Works to help develop diverse writers in the South West. As part of the programme’s remit to be inclusive, his place is supported by Out on the Page, who promote LGBTQ+ writers.