If you’re a fan of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Elizabeth Hand’s authorized expansion of the franchise will be a treat. Featuring new faces and horrors, A Haunting on the Hill brings Holly, a struggling actress looking to immerse herself in a new role, to Hill House in search of the perfect getaway to dive deep into her character. Holly also brings along her girlfriend Nisa (who is understandably uneasy) and her fellow theater troupe (all of whom have skeletons of their own) to stay at the house—which may very well become their grave.

Nicole Ransome: What inspired you to revisit Shirley Jackson’s classic The Haunting of Hill House?

Elizabeth Hand: Shirley Jackson’s estate first discussed this idea with me about 8 or 9 years ago, so when they approached me again in 2020 and asked if I would still be interested in re-envisioning the project, of course I said yes! I adore Jackson’s work. The chance to write something set in her world was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity, and I am thrilled and honored to have been trusted with Jackson’s legacy.

Without giving spoilers, were there any new elements or themes you wanted to introduce to the world of Hill House in your own personal/modern take?

In the original novel, Jackson hinted at an erotic attraction between Eleanor and Dora. I decided to foreground that and have two of my main characters be in a relationship. Mostly I wanted to play with and dive even more deeply into the atmosphere of mistrust that Jackson’s novel does so brilliantly. It seemed to fit our present, post-pandemic mood all too well. And I love theater and the performing arts, including all kinds of folk music. Old English and American folk music can be so dark—including many, many murder ballads—so that seemed like a natural fit as well.

What was your planning process like while writing? What research did you have to do in order to write A Haunting on the Hill?

Most of my actual research had to do with old murder ballads, especially the Child ballads and their American variants. And I reread a lot of Shirley Jackson’s work—which was a pleasure—including, of course, The Haunting of Hill House. Jackson’s son Laurence, her literary executor, very kindly shared with me scans of sketches his mother had done of the floor plans for Hill House. Those were a wonderful resource.

Otherwise, I just let myself follow where the corridors of Hill House took me—sometimes to some very surprising places.

Do you have a favorite listen of 2023 so far?

This may sound odd, but I’m really looking forward to hearing Carol Monda’s audio [performance] of A Haunting on the Hill. Carol’s done so many of my audiobooks, and I’m continually amazed by how she finds nuances of mood and characterization in my text that even I don’t see. She’s a remarkable actor and voice artist, and it’s always exciting and surprising for me to hear what she’s done.