How To Become A Quarrelsome Woman
Much of today’s rise of violent misogyny can find its cultural traces in the witch hunts of old Europe and North America. And while many of us are casually aware of these historical events, our two guests on this episode, novelist Zoe Venditozzi and human rights attorney Claire Mitchell, spent the last seven years digging deep into their own country of Scotland’s prolific history of witch trials and executions - a history that was up to now virtually unknown.
Gifted storytellers and viciously funny, Claire and Zoe document their journey into this dark past in their fascinating new book How To Kill A Witch: The Patriarchy’s Guide to Silencing Women as well as on their hit podcast Witches of Scotland. Through a sharply feminist lens, Claire and Zoe unravel exactly how the witch craze kicked off, spread across Scotland, and was kept going for centuries, resulting in the torture and execution of over 4000 innocent people, most of whom were women.
In this episode we talk about all of their projects, including their legal campaign to bring justice to those accused, convicted, and executed under the The Witchcraft Act of 1563, about the creation of their Clan Witches of Scotland tartan (for sale on their website), the importance of remembering and memorializing, and also about making connections between these grim events and our present time - as the forces that were at play hundreds of years ago are very much alive today.
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Educator, Podcaster & Author of How To Kill A Witch
Zoe Venditozzi is a writer and educator. Born in Lancashire and raised in North East Fife, she studied at the University of Glasgow. Her debut novel, Anywhere’s Better Than Here, was shortlisted for The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize in 2013. Zoe also teaches creative writing workshops and works as a Support for Learning teacher. She is passionate about uncovering and sharing the stories of those wrongfully accused during Scotland’s witch trials.
King's Counsel, Dr of Laws & Author of How To Kill A Witch
Claire Mitchell KC is a Scottish advocate specialising in appellate law, with a particular focus on constitutional issues, human rights, and sentencing. She has been involved in significant cases before the Privy Council and Supreme Court, shaping key aspects of Scottish law. She regularly provides legal training and has received recognition for her contributions to legal thought, including a Special Recognition Award at the 2013 Law Awards of Scotland.