Discover The Haunted Bookshop in Stokes Croft, Bristol – where dark enchantment meets community spirit. Come for the books, stay for the magic.
Tucked away in the lanes of the Stokes Croft, the countercultural hub of Bristol, The Haunted Bookshop became a staple spot for its community before it even opened its doors to customers. The black-sky-and-golden stars adorned walls hold bedecked plum-coloured bookshelves – and plenty of joy, comfort and occult curiosities. “The majority of my customers are female and completely horror-obsessed…We encourage the weirdos, the fairy smut readers, the witches, the horror nerds! The world is such a scary and dangerous place for those who do not fit in. I just want to bring a little bit of magic into people’s lives,” says founder Monika Killer (yes, that’s her real surname).
The short history of this bookstore has, and continues to weave, stories of tears, accomplishment, brushes with fate, community, and girlhood. It has even led to the birth of The Coven – a group of bristol-based spiritual practitioners who host tarot readings, astral stick-and-poke tattoo sessions, Soulara massage sessions and more who were brought together to practice at the store.
Monika, who was born and raised in Lithuania, had had a lingering dream of opening a bookstore for years – but it didn’t materialise until about a year ago. “Fantasy and the occult are my main fascinations – they are why I started the shop. I also have ADHD and noticed that I just could not focus enough to read. The book would have to really interest me from the get-go, or I’d have to re-read chapters constantly because my mind would not stop wandering. Then I found that horror books tend to draw you in instantly, and keep you on your toes and keep your attention. So whenever I’m in a reading slump or have too much on my mind, I grab a spooky book.”
As a Marketing executive in Bristol, she realised that reading was having a renaissance, especially due to ‘booktok’ and the manner in which social media itself boomed during the pandemic.
“Ra Ra Tarot” aka Rachael, one of the Tarot practitioners in The Coven also observed that people in her workplace – especially Gen-Z and younger millennials – began gravitating towards the occult around 2017. “I was like ‘oh, there’s a place for my knowledge and interests now!’. In 2020, she observed that the world’s interest in the occult “just exploded”: “I think everyone started to turn inwards because, externally, everything that they knew – the economy, politics – everything was crumbling.”
In Bristol, Rachael struggled with finding spaces for practicing tarot and accessing her compatriots, hailing from Edinburgh where witchy stores are thriving community hubs. “I actually remember walking through Stokes Croft and thinking this would be a great place for a witchy shop and maybe I should look into getting a loan and transforming one of the places that are on sale. Literally hours later, I saw a newspaper article that said Monika’s shop was opening and everyone kept sending me posts about it saying ‘oh my god this is exactly what you’ve been complaining about’ – I felt like I’d manifested it” Rachael said.
“Jupiter Oak Tarot” or Liz, another Tarot and Tea Leaf reader who is part of The Coven, adds that “There was a lot of excitement and buzz around the city and witchy community. The bookshop is a little sanctuary for those who might feel like outsiders elsewhere, welcoming anyone who is drawn to spirituality, witchcraft, or fantasy and horror.”
Rachael and Liz first got involved with The Haunted Bookshop as one of many volunteers – which was the first and sure proof that the witchy community cherished and celebrated the prospect of it. The love and rigour of the volunteers, according to Liz, showed that “local makers and Bristol’s community values these spaces. Monika started the shop to create something magical and community led”
“I just want to provide others with a safe space where they can feel powerful, in the middle of a community that supports them”
Liz explains why femininity and witchcraft have such a bind: “Historically, women and gender non-conforming people were demonised for their wisdom, healing abilities, and autonomy. Today, witchcraft is a way to reconnect with those lost traditions and redefine strength on our own terms. Coming together is crucial because it reminds us that we are not alone. It’s about mutual support, lifting each other up, and creating spaces where we can be powerful, intuitive and free”
In January 2025, they hosted their first ever spell-making workshop, designed by Rachael, which was testament to the power of spaces for women to congregate and connect with each other and the divine: “I think women are supposed to be with other women. There is something so magical and empowering about standing in a circle with other women and chanting a protection spell,” Monika says. “We created a little banishment jar to put all your past hurt in, and then we created a justice spell, all aimed at someone who had wronged you in the past. And then finally, we did a letting go ritual. Eight women turned up; one person drove two hours from Bournemouth and stayed overnight in her van,” Rachael adds. “They drank margaritas, acted out, you know, the film Practical Magic. I was just shocked at how much it meant to the women – there was a lot of ugly crying. They really bonded so well that they created a WhatsApp group off the back of that.”
“From the very beginning, it had the witchy community of Bristol behind it.” Monika confirmed, “Whenever I felt like giving up, I didn’t because of that community. The shop is not mine, it’s theirs. The lovely messages I received, the volunteers who showed up and helped paint the walls and strip the floors – it all brings such lovely energy to the place. When you walk into the shop, you can feel it. It’s a safe space for the misfits.” When Rachael asked if she could read tarot for the store, Monika was reluctant about the state of the downstairs section where she sits now. Rachael brought in her own paint, decor, tapestries and cloths, and loved the space like her own!
Perhaps, in a world consumed by individuality, connection over a shared divine cause is what we need desperately. “It’s almost like a modern day church, like, this is kind of what I think this business could become because it’s a way for people to get in touch with a higher purpose and higher power, walk away feeling empowered and with a sense of hope. It’s something about or kind of shared humanity that’s been lost in modern life.” Rachael says. “Running a small business is so hard. However much money you make, you just get more bills and taxes to pay. I’d really like to get the shop to a place where it is profitable enough so we can grow, and perhaps even put on a horror and witchcraft festival at some point.” Monika says, dreaming of expanding this impact to an even bigger scale. “This time last year, I struggled to leave my house. I could not talk to people. I’d have panic attacks at the office and did not believe in myself at all. The past year has been the hardest but the most rewarding for me. I just want to provide others with a safe space where they can feel powerful, in the middle of a community that supports them.”
Adding to the store’s nurturing atmosphere are the crystals, spell jars, manifestation candles, witchy jewellery, incense, smudging sticks, and other wares that are sold alongside the books. “We sell items from various UK sellers and try to get as much stock from female or minority-owned businesses as much as possible. Witchy creators tend to be very strong spiritual people, and I think their goods retain that energy.” Monika says.
For the horror book lovers reading this, you will be happy to know that the titles are curated by the community. It constantly evolves and changes face as book recommendations roll in. The beauty of it is that Monika she hand-picks the books, there’s not a single one on the shelves that she wouldn’t read herself. She even features pre-loved books, adding her special touch of community exchange. “Reading horror books was perceived as not feminine enough a few decades ago, but with the rise in feminism and girl power, women are taking control and, well, frankly, do not care whether reading horror will make them seem un-ladylike! The majority of my customers are female and completely horror-obsessed. They have far more knowledge of horror than I do, and I always try to ensure we have plenty of female-written books in store.” Monika says. “Authors like Mariana Enriquez, Agustina Bazterrica and Silvia Moreno-Garcia are our absolute bestsellers.”
Monika herself recommends Weyvard by Emilia Hart “It follows three witches at different times in history, think witch trials to modern day. It’s a very empowering story, and really helps you to connect to your feminine powers.”
So this magnificent bookstore, curated with the choicest titles continues to greet the lanes of Stokes Croft, beckoning women to connect with something deeper and divine and welcoming men too, where Monika says the Stephen King classics always catch their eye: “Maybe because it’s in Stokes Croft, maybe because it’s in Bristol, maybe because they come in with their girlfriends but we do have a lot of open-minded men come in but it still doesn’t feel like it’s for them. They’re visitors and they’re welcome, but it’s not really for them…” Rachael concludes. But amongst us girls and theys, that last part is a secret!