Carnegie-prize winning Melvin Burgess brings the past to life in this atmospheric story of witchcraft in seventeenth-century England. Haunted by terrible dreams Issy has to find out about her past and about her true nature. Brought up infused with the suspicions of the time about the crones called witches and the dubious magic they wrought, Issy has to step deep into their world to find out more – and to discover her own true nature and powers. Burgess paints a vivid picture of one girl's courage and honesty in a world steeped in superstition and prejudice.
A fantastic new edition of Melvin Burgess’ haunting and original retelling of the infamous Pendle witch trials, being published in the year of the 400th anniversary of the trials of the Pendle witches.
‘Vivid and atmospheric . . . Unforgettable stuff.' - The Guardian
‘Brutally honest . . . this remarkable historical novel erupts into life from the very first page’ - Financial Times
‘A writer of the highest quality with exceptional powers of insight’ - Sunday Times
‘If a children’s author like Burgess didn’t exist, we would most definitely have to invent him’ - The Guardian
‘A Dickens of the future.’ - Michael Rosen
Author
About Melvin Burgess
Melvin Burgess was brought up in Sussex and Berkshire. As a child, his reading included The Wind in the Willows and Gerald Durrell's animal stories. He went on to enjoy The Hobbit and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books. A generally unconfident student, he became interested in writing when he was twelve and an English teacher praised one of his stories - "it was about the first time I'd ever done anything that got an A. I was so pleased I never stopped." After leaving school, Melvin moved to Bristol where he worked on occasional jobs, mainly in the building industry, and was often unemployed. He started writing in his twenties and wrote on and off for the next fifteen years before The Cry of the Wolf was published in 1990. He moved to London in 1983 and began a small business marbling fabrics for the fashion industry. In 1997 his controversial bestseller Junk won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal. It was also shortlisted for the 1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. Four of his novels have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
Melvin Burgess is regarded as one of the best writers in contemporary children's literature. In 1997, his controversial bestseller Junk won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal. It was also shortlisted for the 1998 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. Four of his novels have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Melvin lives in Hebden Bridge with his partner.
