How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women

by Zoe Venditozzi, Claire Mitchell

Overview

"Terrifying, fascinating, and important." —Sara Sheridan, author of Where Are the Women? and The Fair Botanists

Nothing brings people together like a common enemy, and witches were the greatest enemy of all.

Scotland, 1563: Crops failed. People starved. And the Devil's influence was stronger than ever—at least, that's what everyone believed. If you were a woman living in Scotland during this turbulent time, there was a very good chance that you, or someone you knew, would be tried as a witch.

During the chaos of the Reformation, violence against women was codified for the first time in the Witchcraft Act—a tool of theocratic control with one chilling goal: to root out witches and rid the land of evil. What followed was a dark and misogynistic chapter in history that fanned the flames of witch hunts across the globe, including in the United States and beyond.

In How to Kill a Witch, Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell, hosts of the popular Witches of Scotland podcast, unravel the grim yet absurdly bureaucratic process of identifying, accusing, trying, and executing women as witches. With sharp wit and keen feminist insight, they reveal the inner workings of a patriarchal system designed to weaponize fear and oppress women.

This captivating (and often infuriating) account, which weaves a rich tapestry of trial transcripts, witness accounts, and the documents that set the legal grounds for the witch hunts, exposes how this violent period of history mirrors today's struggles for justice and equality. How to Kill a Witch is a powerful, darkly humorous reminder of the dangers of superstition, bias, and ignorance, and a warning to never forget the past… while raising the question of whether it could ever happen again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781464241222
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.05(d)

About the Author

Zoe Venditozzi lives in NE Fife, Scotland and has worked in education for more than twenty years. Claire Mitchell, KC, works as a criminal lawyer. The authors are the creators of the Witches of Scotland podcast, and their work led to the First Minister of Scotland issuing a formal state apology in 2022 to all those accused of Witchcraft in Scotland—the first time in 300 years there had been any formal recognition of those who were wrongly accused.

Zoe Venditozzi lives in NE Fife, Scotland and has worked in education for more than twenty years. Claire Mitchell, KC, works as a criminal lawyer. The authors are the creators of the Witches of Scotland podcast, and their work led to the First Minister of Scotland issuing a formal state apology in 2022 to all those accused of Witchcraft in Scotland—the first time in 300 years there had been any formal recognition of those who were wrongly accused.

Editorial Reviews

"Fascinating and illuminating, this book tempers justifiable rage with sharp and funny pinpricks to the pompous." — Val McDermid, author of Past Lying

"As well as highly entertaining read, How To Kill A Witch is a tour de force of research, understanding and compassion. What the world needs is more quarrelsome dames—and Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi are two of the best." — Professor Sue Black, author of All That Remains

"A dignified, defiant memorial to thousands of ordinary women branded as witches and, all too often, put to death. Told with imagination and empathy, the stories in this book expose the tragedy of their lives, as well as the subordination, paranoia and cruelty responsible. Serious and angry, but so completely accessible, How To Kill A Witch is a work of real historical investigation and a fierce warning for our times." — Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin Of All Witches

"As a woman who has been called a witch from as early as age ten, you could say I’ve been waiting my whole life for this book. How did they get away with the wholesale slaughter of women simply for being opinionated, intuitive, creative or intelligent? At a time when women’s rights are once again being threatened across the globe, this book could not be a more timely read if it tried." — Shirley Manson, Garbage

"Quite possibly the most horrific portrayal of one of our darkest periods in history. This book, whilst an addictive read, also warns us of the dangers of powerful men (mostly) who used scapegoating and mass hysteria to target and murder women (mostly). The writers hand us a nightmarish blueprint of what could easily happen today, if we chose to ignore our past." — Aamer Anwar, leading Human Rights Lawyer

"The Witches of Scotland... profile persecuted women from the burning times. Their tales are woven by archivists, historians and writers—and by Venditozzi and Mitchell themselves, two of Scotland's most vivid storytellers." — The Times

"A unique, angry, surprisingly funny tour of what Scottish witch trial history means today." — Marion Gibson, author of Witchcraft: A History in 13 Trials

"Utterly absorbing and drags you in immediately." — Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Corner

"The most important book I'll read this year. A manifesto, a call to arms, a historical heist and a paragon of storytelling, How to Kill a Witch prods some of the most topical issues of the moment and provides a wealth of insights, stitching the past and present together like some gorgeous tartan. Zoe and Claire are a dynamic duo of quarrelsome dames, and their take on witches is the very best. Brilliant, witty, searing, and necessary, this is a book to share and treasure." — CJ Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches

"Terrifying, fascinating and important." — Sara Sheridan, author of Where Are the Women and The Fair Botanists

From the Publisher