Neil Spring was born on June 8, 1981. He is a Welsh writer who creates supernatural horror stories. He is best known for writing two popular books: The Ghost Hunters, published in 2013, and The Lost Village, published in 2017.
Education
Spring has a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) from Somerville College at Oxford University. He completed a thesis about the importance of paranormal events during his studies.
Works
In 2013, Spring's first book was published by Quercus. The novel is based on the life of Harry Price, a British ghost hunter from the 1920s and 1930s. Price became famous for investigating Borley Rectory in Essex, which was called "the most haunted house in England." Spring said the book took three years to research and write.
The Ghost Hunters received good reviews. The Sunday Times Culture Magazine called it "unexpected and surprising in its story." The Metro described the novel as "a detailed story with real elements." ITV1 made a 2-hour film based on the book, titled Harry Price: Ghost Hunter, produced by Bentley Productions. The film, written by Jack Lothian, aired on 27 December 2015.
Quercus published Spring's second book in September 2015. The novel is based on real events and is a "spooky, historical thriller" set in a remote coastal village during the Cold War. The story takes place near an ancient secret.
The Daily Express called the book The Watchers "explosive." Television rights were bought after an eight-way auction. Spring was inspired to write the book after finding a secret government document that suggests high-ranking officials investigated UFO sightings in Wales in 1977.
In February 2017, Spring returned to the location of the 1977 UFO sightings with one of the original witnesses. An interview about the book's inspiration was shown on BBC1's The One Show in 2017.
In 2019, Spring announced that the television and film rights to The Watchers had returned to him.
Spring's third book is set in the abandoned village of Imber in Wiltshire and again features Harry Price. It was published by Quercus in October 2017.
The Lost Village received positive reviews. The Lady called it "chilling… an intelligent ghost story." The Sunday Express S Magazine described it as "Spooky and tense with a truly frightening ending."
After reading The Lost Village, Stephen Volk, a screenwriter and novelist, said Spring's writing is "like Agatha Christie meets James Herbert."
Quercus published Spring's fourth book in 2019. The novel is set near Loch Ness and is inspired by the life of Aleister Crowley, a ceremonial magician and occultist.
According to the Lancashire Evening Post, the book is "full of suspense and ghostly figures… a fast-paced thriller with a surprising ending."
In October 2020, Quercus published Spring's fifth book, a standalone story titled The Haunted Shore. The novel is described as "a terrifying tale about secrets hidden for a long time, lies, and obsession."