By Juan Ibarra/reporter

The Walsh Library on NW Campus was transformed into an eerie place with ghostly music and a hint of the sinister when students walked in on a rainy, cold October night.

Tables decorated with candles and candy and a booth in the corner for blacklight selfies were immediately apparent, but most important, students could share some of their favorite literary passages and poems while wearing spooky costumes.

Dead Writer’s Night was open to all and allowed for students to dress up and share different readings from famous writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Shakespeare as well as personal poems.

Invited to the event by different faculty members in the English department, many showed up due to their fondness for the written word, like NW student Veronica Evans.

“I love writing, and this is a cool way to showcase that,” Evans said.

AlthoughHamlet’s famous soliloquy “To be or not to be”and Poe’s “Alone” made their appearance, some students read their own poetry.

“There was some good stuff, and the setup was really cool,” NW student Claudia Dressel said. “It was fun to watch others read their selections.”

Attendees also dressed up for a costume contest. Outfits ranged from the literary Sylvia Plath to the country-western Johnny Cash.

NW student Jacob Drake Keathley had been to a few other events hosted by the English department but didn’t know what to expect going into Dead Writer’s Night.

“I’m honestly surprised by the size and scope of this,” Keathley said. “The energy and passion of the staff is admirable. You can really tell they care about what they are doing tonight.”

Students presented their literary selections on stage, some even going more than once, thanks to the motivation from the staff and faculty running the event.

The event was a success for the English department, NW English instructor Michelle York said.

“There was a great turnout, and I’m happy that everyone had fun,” York said. “There definitely seemed to be lots of enjoyment tonight.”