Vampires. We love them. We fear them. Join Katie Evans as she explores our complex relationship with our favourite fanged monsters.

The history of vampires doesn’t just begin with films or literature but with folklore and with a very real fear.

Our fascination with blood-suckers has endured through the centuries, evolving into a key element of pop culture and leaving a lasting mark on our collective consciousness. From psychoanalysis, to queer theory, and modern representations of trauma, these creatures often embody the darker sides of our psyche and desire to challenge the world. This talk will trace their evolution, through Dracula and Carmilla, to Lost Boys and our beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Together we will sink our teeth into why we both fear and love vampires, and how their stories resonate with us on a personal level. We’ll examine how these creatures have been used in cinema to represent otherness, internal struggles, trauma and sex. By applying psychoanalysis and a lens of gender and sexuality, we’ll dig deep into the vampiric legend—both in fantasy and in the real world.