Oct
16
4:00pm
Who Does That Witch Think She Is?
By TPLCulture
Historians Malcolm Gaskill and Marion Gibson, and author Megan Giddings, discuss the history of witches, their place in art and culture, and the spellbinding role they continue to play in our lives today.
From Salem, Massachusetts to Sabrina The Teenage Witch, how we think and talk about witches has radically evolved over the past 300 years. The chillingly real and unjust persecution of innocent women for the crime of witchcraft in the 17th century has given way to beloved books and movies that cast witches as the 21st century heroines we’ve been waiting for.
In The Ruin of All Witches and The Witches of St Osyth, Gaskill and Gibson share the true histories of two communities rocked by superstition, suspicion, and accusations of witchcraft. Giddings’ novel, The Women Could Fly, invites us into a world where witches are real and single women are closely monitored, offering a biting social commentary on the limits women face—and the powers they have to transgress and transcend them.
Malcolm Gaskill, Marion Gibson, and Megan Giddings speak with journalist and folklorist Emily Urquhart about what witches conjure in the collective imagination, their place in history and art, and how our thinking about what witches represent has—or hasn't—changed.
About this event’s guests:
Malcolm Gaskill
Marion Gibson
Megan Giddings
Emily Urquhart
Read more:
The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World
The Witches of St Osyth
The Women Could Fly
Ordinary Wonder Tales: Essays
***
This event is part of our signature Salon Series, where we host local and international authors, artists and thinkers in conversation about their new books and big ideas.
***
Toronto Public Library is committed to accessibility. Please call or email us if you are Deaf or have a disability and would like to request accommodation to participate in this program. Please let us know as far in advance as possible and we will do our best to meet your request. At least three weeks’ notice is preferred. Phone 416-393-7099 or email [email protected].
hosted by
TPLCulture
share