The Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network’s annual “It was a Dark and Stormy Night” reading will still be taking place this year to give listeners a spooky and chilling experience the night before Halloween — but this time they will be listening in the comforts of their homes.

The event is going virtual for the first time in its three year history — like many events this year — and will be from 5 – 6:30 p.m. Registration is $20 in return for a link to the Zoom event with proceeds going toward student scholarships. The program consists of eight local authors who will be reading original Halloween-themed stories for listeners.

“With the days and weeks running together for so many of us, it seems important to keep some traditions alive, to mark the seasons, and to share common experiences even if they are virtual,” BARN Writers Studio lead Sallie Maron said.

The event is not intended for young children, but rather for teens and adults to endure a refreshing scare through the use of words and imagery, Maron said. The stories were written exclusively for the event.

“The community has been really supportive in the two previous years and with a virtual event, we even have some people signing up from the East Coast this year,” Maron said. “BARN is committed to being accessible to everyone so the proceeds will help fund youth scholarships for classes and memberships.”

Courtesy of BARN, the respective authors’ biographies are as follows:

Garth Stein — international bestselling author of contemporary classic The Art of Racing in the Rain, the story of a beloved dog named Enzo who teaches us everything we need to know about being human. The book turned into a motion picture in 2019 starring Kevin Costner and Amanda Seyfried.

Elizabeth George — New York Times and internationally best-selling author of 20 British crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his undercover partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Her crime novels have been translated into 30 languages and featured on television by BBC. A longtime instructor of creative writing, she has taught at colleges, universities, writers’ retreats and conferences.

Megan Chance — Critically acclaimed, award-winning author of several novels. She is included in the short story collection Stories for Suffragette City and her latest novel, A Splendid Ruin, will be released by Lake Union Publishing in January 2021. Chance is a former TV news photographer with a BA in broadcast communications from Western Washington University.

Lynn Brunelle — Four-time Emmy Award-winning writer for Bill Nye the Science Guy with over 25 years’ experience writing for people of all ages, across all landscapes of media. Brunelle has created, developed, and written projects for Chronicle, National Geographic, Scholastic, A&E, Discovery Channel, Disney, ABC TV, NBC, NPR and PBS, among others.

Maureen McQuerry — Award-winning poet, novelist, and teacher. Her YA novel, The Peculiars is an ALA Best Book for Young Adult Readers 2013 and winner of the Westchester Award. Her other novels include the Celtic Mythology duo Beyond the Door, The Telling Stone, and most recently Between Before and After.

Warren Read — Read is the author of a memoir, The Lyncher in Me (2009) and the award-winning novel, Ash Falls (2017). His fiction has appeared in Hot Metal Bridge, Mud Season Review, Silver of Stone, Inklette, Switchback Magazine, and East Bay Review. He is one of the associate principals at Bainbridge High School.

Bridget Foley — Originally from Colorado and attended NYU’s Tisch School of Arts and UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television. She worked as an actor and screenwriter before becoming a novelist. Her first novel Hugo & Rose in 2015.

Jim Brunelle — Award-winning journalist, TV host and author. Winner of the New England AP News Executives Association Award for editorial writing and political reporting. He is an inductee to the Maine Press Association Hall of Fame. Brunelle makes his home on Bainbridge Island where he continues to write.