Between 1563 and 1736, Scotland carried out one of the most brutal witch-hunting campaigns in Europe: nearly 4,000 people were accused, and an estimated 2,500 were executed.

These weren’t distant, isolated superstitions — they were laws, courts, and communities turning on their own. The question is: why did it happen, and why does it still matter?

That’s exactly what How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell sets out to answer. Blending historical research with feminist analysis, it explores:

🖤 Why Scotland’s witch trials exploded

🖤 How accusations spread and torture shaped the trials

🖤 The real people whose lives were destroyed

🖤 Why their stories still resonate today

It’s also part of the Witches of Scotland campaign for justice and remembrance, and it's out TODAY! Huge thanks to Sourcebooks for the gifted copy.

Q: If you lived in 17th-century Scotland, what do you think would have marked you as a "witch"?

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