I Was Alive Here Once: Ghost Stories

by Sarah Coolidge (Editor)

A midwife is awoken one night to help a djinn give birth (Yemen). Ghosts of “loose-haired” women wander the newly erected border after the fall of the Soviet Union (Uzbekistan). A water ghost bound to a creek falls for the ghost of a girl wandering the surrounding forest, which is in danger of being destroyed (South Korea).


With an expansive view of our haunted world, I Was Alive Here Once breathes new life into familiar tropes and brings fresh perspectives to the borderlands between life and death. In eight contemporary stories from eight different countries, this collection embraces the paradoxical nature of ghosts: as specters of collective memory or collective amnesia, as traces of our past or future, as vengeful or protective, victims or monsters.

Genres: Horror

216 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 10, 2026

Reviews

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A diverse collection of modern spooky tales from all over the world—not quite like anything I have ever read before. An interesting way to get a small peek into other cultures and how they engage with the subject. I am not a horror person at all but these were more eerie and surreal rather than frightening. Perfect read for Halloween time. I wish it was out already for me to recommend for spooky season!

[mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost stories are relevant again! I'm a big fan of the re-emerging ghost story trend and I loved this collection. It presents refreshing takes on the genre that also illustrate the cultural differences in how the line between life and death is viewed around the world. A gem. Two lines press, I love you.