Tim McGregor is a Canadian author and screenwriter best known for his Bad Wolf trilogy, the Spookshow series, and several standalone horror novels. With a background in screenwriting and as a member of the Horror Writers Association, McGregor has created stories that delve into the weird and supernatural, exploring the darker side of human nature.
His work includes titles such as Lure, nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award, Hearts Strange and Dreadful, and Wasps in the Ice Cream (2022).
Growing up in an isolated region in Northern Ontario, McGregor's imagination was nourished by reading, writing, and drawing. While studying English Literature and Religion at university, McGregor's writing ambitions were stifled by the academic reverence for 'serious' literature. After leaving university, he spent his twenties navigating various jobs, bad relationships and the vibrant zine culture of the 1990s.
He created his comics inspired by alternative comics such as Dirty Plotte and Eightball before turning to screenwriting. This move led him to the Canadian Film Centre, where he gained hands-on experience in filmmaking.
Three feature films emerged from McGregor's screenwriting efforts, though he found the collaborative nature of filmmaking at odds with his independent storytelling drive. When the 2008 financial collapse and the rise of digital streaming disrupted the film industry, he turned to self-publishing, adapting his last screenplay into the novel Bad Wolf. This pivot led to his long-running Spookshow series, originally conceived as a short project but eventually expanded to eleven volumes due to its success.
In Wasps in the Ice Cream (2022), McGregor weaves a haunting tale set in the summer of 1987. The protagonist, Mark Prewitt, is reluctantly drawn into a cruel prank played by his friends against the enigmatic Farrow sisters, reclusive figures shunned by their small town. After befriending George, the middle sister and a practising witch, Mark is introduced to a world of folk magic and seances. Their friendship grows into a secret relationship, but Mark is forced to make a painful choice when his peers discover their bond.
Described by Booklist as "evocative and compelling," Wasps in the Ice Cream explores the dangers of peer pressure, the intensity of adolescent bonds, and the haunting beauty of small-town secrets.
Tim McGregor lives with his wife and children in Toronto.
Photo credit: timmcgregorauthor.com
