An Evening with Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi

Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi are coming to Waterstones on Wednesday 28 October, starting at 18:30. It's an evening of readings and a Q&A session, and the whole thing centres on their book, How to Kill a Witch.

If you haven't come across it yet, the book is an analysis of the sixteenth-century Scottish witch trials. It's a heavy subject—at least 4,000 people were accused over more than 150 years—and the authors trace the whole process from the first accusation through to torture and execution. They didn't just look at the big picture; they worked through trial transcripts, witness accounts and expert testimony to piece together how it actually happened on the ground.

There's a bit of a story behind the book, too. Mitchell, a human rights lawyer, and Venditozzi, a writer, started the 'Witches of Scotland' campaign to bring the trials back into the light. That work led to the First Minister of Scotland issuing a formal state apology on International Women's Day 2022—the first such apology in 300 years. In that same year, both were made Doctors of Laws by the University of Dundee, and they still run a podcast under the same name, The Witches of Scotland.

On the night, you'll hear them read from the book and then take questions, so it's a good chance to hear the two of them talk through the research in person. Tickets are £6, or £5 if you're a Waterstones cardholder. There's also a £15 option that includes the book, which retails at £10.99, to collect at the event. It all kicks off at 18:30 at Waterstones, 1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham NG1 2GR.