Witch obsession with Steven Veerapen

Steven Veerapen is at the National Library of Scotland on Thursday 29 October, a Halloween talk on the history of witches and the people who hunted them. It's a single hour, starting at 17:30, and it's free.

Veerapen is a historian and a lecturer at the University of Strathclyde, born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a Mauritian father. He's written several books, including The Wisest Fool: The Lavish Life of James VI and I, Witches: A King's Obsession, and Overlord: The Life and Reign of Henry VIII. This session draws on a new edition of Witches: A King's Obsession to trace the history of witchcraft and the witch-hunters, from the mass trials under King James VI and I through to the decline of the phenomenon, and asks where our perception of witches, good and bad, came from.

He doesn't stick to the grim record, though. He balances it with some light-hearted commentary on the pop-culture witches who still fascinate, from Hermione Granger to Wanda Maximoff and Elphaba. The talk is followed by a Q&A with the audience, so there's a chance to ask your own questions after he's finished.

The talk is at the National Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW. It's free of charge, and tickets are booked via Eventbrite.