Step into the shadows of Chelsea Physic Garden for a spine-tingling evening of creative writing.

Guided by paranormal storyteller and writer, Helen Haxell-White, join us in London’s oldest botanical garden as the veil between the two worlds is at its thinnest, and explore the Garden at night, letting its atmosphere, scents, and stories spark your imagination.

This workshop will be split into two parts:

Part I: Echoes in the Garden – A Ghostly Exploration
Begin inside, where you’ll set the scene and awaken your senses. A mindful walk through the Garden follows, past the ancient yew, along quiet benches, into the deepening dusk. With prompts such as “The Lingering Scent” and “The Unseen Companion”, you’ll capture unsettling details, fleeting shadows, and ghostly presences that stir in the evening air.

Part II: Glasshouse Ghosts – A Spooky Whodunit
Inside the Victorian Glasshouses, history and imagination entwine. You’ll be drawn into the mystery of Dr. Eleanor Oak, a renowned botanist found one stormy night amongst the orchids, her face frozen in terror. Was it natural causes, betrayal – or something far more spectral? Observing the Glasshouse as a crime scene, you’ll uncover “clues in the verdant cage,” choose from a cast of suspects: the Envious Apprentice, the Disgruntled Caretaker, or the Lost Spirit  and weave your own sinister tale.

No prior writing experience is needed. Bring a notebook, an open mind, and let the Garden’s haunted beauty lead your pen.

About Helen Haxell-White:

Helen Haxell-White is a professional storyteller and writer who runs creative writing workshops on the paranormal across the UK and in Somerset where she is based. Originally from Suffolk, ghost stories and the paranormal have been under her skin from an early age. Helen can often be found after dark, exploring historical monuments and dark woods to get her heart racing and feel the fear for creative inspiration.

Helen is currently finalising her ghost story anthology, titled 33 Ghosts, which is a collection of flash fiction for the digital age.