Gemma Files

Gemma Files, born on April 4, 1968, in London, England, is the daughter of two actors, Elva Mai Hoover and Gary Files. She has spent most of her life in Toronto, Canada. Initially, she gained recognition as a film critic, teacher, and screenwriter. However, Files made her mark on the international horror scene when her short story "The Emperor's Old Bones" won the International Horror Guild award for Best Short Fiction in 1999. This recognition propelled her writing career and established her as a prominent figure in the horror genre.

Gemma Files has an impressive bibliography, including two collections of short stories, Kissing Carrion and The Worm in Every Heart, both published by Prime Books. She has also published two chapbooks of poetry, Bent Under Night and Dust Radio, from Sinnersphere Productions and Kelp Queen Press, respectively. In 2010, Files released her first novel, A Book of Tongues: Volume One in the Hexslinger Series, published by ChiZine Publications. The series, which also includes A Rope of Thorns (2011) and A Tree of Bones (2012), has been well-received by horror fans. Currently, she is working on her first stand-alone novel. In addition to her individual work, Files has also collaborated with her husband, fellow author Stephen J. Barringer, with whom she co-wrote the story "each thing i show you is a piece of my death" for Clockwork Phoenix 2 (Norilana Books). They have one son together.