Around Town

Horror and sci-fi bookstore Long Dark House to hold grand opening in early September

By Emily Leayman and James Cullum
Woman walking on brick sidewalk past a storefront with a green awning labeled 1510, carrying shopping bags.
The upcoming location of Long Dark House at 1510 King Street (staff photo by James Cullum)

Long Dark House, a bookstore dedicated to horror, science fiction and other dark titles, will open its doors at the start of September.

The Black-owned independent bookstore will open at 1510 King Street at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1. A grand opening from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5 will include special activities all day. Author Lisa Jones Gentry will be at the opening to sign copies of “A Dead Man Speaks,” which can be preordered through Long Dark House. The grand opening will also have specially themed matcha drinks from Whisked Away Cafe, chocolates and gifts from Madame Coco’s Emporium, raffle prizes, music and more.

Ahead of the opening, the bookstore is hosting preview events for its community supporters by invitation. The bookstore is also hosting a private preview event from 3-6 p.m. on Aug. 31 and is giving away tickets to 10 people plus a guest through a social media contest.

After the launch, Long Dark House has events lined up throughout the month like book and social clubs and book signings.

Owner Chanthal Harris, who grew up in North Carolina, is an Alexandria resident and book lover who also volunteers with the Master Gardeners in Northern Virginia. Long Dark House will be her first bookstore and feature “a carefully curated collection centered on horror, science fiction and other wonderfully ‘strange stories.'”

“My comfort genre is horror and sci-fi,” Harris said. “Those are the two that I just go back to and I enjoy.”

Harris envisions the bookstore as having rotating displays for the seasons that can draw readers in for inspiration. Her first plans involve a back-to-school display for different age groups and dark academia for adults.

“We want the space to really feel like an experience and liminal,” Harris told ALXnow. “We really just want it to feel like a good third space with a lot where every corner you turn, you just find something new and interesting, even week to week when you come in.”

The bookstore also plans to host local, independent and emerging authors for signings, readings, workshops and literary events, as well as book clubs, local artists and makers, and seasonal and themed events. Harris is also the creator of the candle and fragrance company Hemlock & Hearth and will feature those products in store.

Madame Coco’s Emporium, one of three businesses that had been destroyed by a fire in 2024, will also join Long Dark House at the location. The shop will have a variety of chocolates, vintage finds, artisan items and other things Armstrong described as “the whimsy, the magical, the dark,” owner Meshelle Armstrong previously told ALXnow. Sister business — Madame Coco’s Parlour — will remain open at 115 S. Royal Street.

About the Authors

  • Emily Leayman is the editor of ALXnow and contributes reporting to ARLnow and FFXnow. She was previously a field editor covering parts of Northern Virginia for Patch for more than eight years. A native of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, she lives in Northern Virginia.

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.