The History of Witchcraft in Popular Culture

Witches in fiction are often instantly recognisable: broomsticks, black pointy hats, cats in tow, and a cackle in the wind. But while these familiar tropes are rooted in centuries of fairy tale traditions, the witch is far more layered than she first appears.

This talk explores how popular culture has conjured up a new wave of witches – complex, subversive, and often deeply human. From the rise of ‘witcherature’ to film and TV, the witch has become an icon through which we can reimagine identity, power and, resistance. Take Gregory Maguire’s Wicked, where Elphaba is framed not as evil, but misunderstood – a theme carried through the musical and its film adaptation. Or Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, which weaves together witchcraft, gender, and race to explore ideas of belonging and exclusion.

**Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!**

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*Dr Zoë Enstone is Associate Professor of English Literature at York St John University. She has a research background in medieval literature, with a particular focus on Arthurian Romance. She has previously worked on areas such as the intersection of the religious and supernatural and the origins and development of characters, tropes and ideas. Her academic interests also extend to medievalism, particularly the influence of medieval themes and concepts on contemporary works and thought.*

Presented by Seed Talks

This is an 18+ event