Jared R. Cruz

I'm Jared R. Cruz, a writer from Gibraltar. After a long journey of finding my voice through storytelling, I was able to breakthrough with the aid of Gibraltar Cultural Services, which hosted a first-of-a-kind writing competition for young writers. Being the first thing I have ever submitted, I was utterly shocked when they told me I had won and selected me to be mentored through their Young Writer's Initiative. Through this, I was given the support and resources to see my first novella - Into Dark Shadows - be published! It also provided me with the guidance to start my writing career, which I am forever grateful for.

You will find that my stories tend to side with darker themes...

I have always been interested in the human condition and the way different people react in extreme situations that push our understanding of the world, or that alters the way we view ourselves. I do not think there is a better genre for extreme situations than horror, where the human mind is bent and twisted; where the body is pained and terrified. I even think that it is in these moments where our purest forms are exposed and vulnerable, but also where humanity shines most, because even in the direst of straits, there is always hope. Best of all is when they emerge on the other side, when they have survived all the monstrous obstacles put in their way. Isn’t that the best form of hope? Knowing that even in the darkest of pits, a light always shines somewhere? It just needs finding. I think so, and I hope to convey that in my writing, so join me on this journey and let us always remember: a light always shines even in the darkest pits of our world.