BBC Radio 7: M.R. James at Christmas

Britain's BBC 7 Radio channel is about to begin another seasonal run of ghost stories written by the prolific M.R. James. Five selected tales are up for offer this year: "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad," "The Tractate Middoth," "Lost Hearts," and "The Rose Garden," "Number 13." The shows run from December 21-26. Catch them on your local radio if you're in the U.K., or stream it with the Listen Live link at the BBC 7 website.

As many know, the British Isles have a strong history of the holiday ghost tale. M.R. James himself frequently read his works to friends as bells began to jingle and snow drifted down from gray skies. It's nice to see a touch of horror still riding on the caboose of the Yuletide. The dead winter ghost story is a past time non-Britons should be glad to appropriate for their own seasonal festivities. And the BBC radio adaptations make that a little easier to do, year after year.

-Grim Blogger