As part of our quest to showcase great writers, we are hosting a series of Local Writing Evenings in our Chelmsford shop throughout the year. To kick this off, we are delighted to welcome Beth Underdown and Syd Moore who will be introducing their new titles: The Witchfinder’s Sister and Strange Magic and discussing the significance of strong female characters in their novels. They will be interviewed by Darryl Webber, a journalist, film blogger, author, occasional DJ and prolific tea drinker.
So, what’s the book that Paula Hawkins stopped editing her follow-up to The Girl on the Train to read? Beth Underdown’s The Witchfinder’s Sister is based on real life figure Matthew Hopkins, the 'Witchfinder General' - the most notorious of the witch hunters, who sent hundreds of women to their deaths in the Tendring Hundred region of Essex in the 1600s. The story is told by the woman who knew him best – his sister Alice, a fantastic female narrator with a strong modern voice, in the tradition of rediscovered historical heroines like Margaret Atwood's Grace Marks and Hannah Kent's Agnes Magnúsdóttir.
Published in May, and in a special preview for this event, Strange Magic is the first in a new series about witches, magic and Essex girls which was inspired by the real-life story of Ursula Cadence and the epidemic of witch hunts that broke out in the village of St Osyth. Syd Moore grew up in and lives in Essex and is the author of two mystery novels The Drowning Pool and Witch Hunt. She is the former presenter of Pulp, the Channel 4 books programme and founding editor of Level 4, a magazine of arts and culture.
The evening will kick off with the writers introducing themselves and giving short readings from their simultaneously terrifying and captivating books. After the talk there will be the opportunity to meet the authors, mingle and enjoy some complimentary refreshments. We will be selling a selection of their books on the night and the authors will be happy to sign copies.
As International Women’s Day approaches, sign up for an entertaining evening of fiction, celebrating strong female characters in literature.
Tickets: This is a free event, simply add the required number of tickets to the basket below. Please note, no physical tickets will be issued (to save the trees!). Your email confirmation is proof of booking.
