Guests at the Department of Culture’s Bermudian Heartbeats lecture series were entertained by a “thrilling evening of folklore and storytelling” last weekend.

The 2025 season of the series continued at the National Museum of Bermuda on Saturday with Haunted Tales of the West End, which captivated audiences with chilling narratives inspired by Bermuda’s ghost stories and traditional folklore, a government spokeswoman said.

The event combined “historical intrigue and local creativity” to deliver an experience that celebrated the island’s oral storytelling heritage, the spokeswoman said.

Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, said: “Storytelling plays an important role in preserving Bermuda’s culture, allowing us to share the stories that connect us to our history and our people.

“With its spooky seasonal twist, this event reminded us how creativity and tradition can come together to keep our heritage alive.

“Congratulations to everyone who made Haunted Tales of the West End such an engaging and memorable evening.”

Hosted by Nadanja Bailey, the event featured performances from talented local storytellers, including Rajai Denbrook, Aziza Furbert, Emily Ross, Quinceé Kaya Dill, Gordon Emmerson and Alexander Winfield.

The spokeswoman said many of the presentations were adapted from The Spirit Baby and Other Bermudian Folktales by Florenz Webbe Maxwell as well as Bermuda’s Favourite Haunts by John Cox, Mac Musson and Joan Skinner.

The evening also showcased tales submitted through the department’s Got a Spooky Story campaign by authors Mark Neale and Ellen Hollis.

A full recording of the event will soon be available on the Department of Culture’s YouTube channel.