This Book Event has already taken place

Mairi Kidd – We Are All Witches

At: The Portobello Bookshop

On:20th October 2022, 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Mairi Kidd – We Are All Witches at The Portobello Bookshop

We're delighted to be hosting the Edinburgh launch event for Mairi Kidd's new book, We Are All Witches! We're really looking forward to welcoming Mairi back to the bookshop after hosting an event to celebrate Feisty and Fiery and Fierce back in 2020. She will be in conversation with Zoe Venditozzi.

We are planning for this event to take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as a livestream for attendees watching from home.

In-person vouchers can be redeemed on the night of the event against anything in the bookshop – we will have a list of attendees with vouchers to be redeemed. Livestream vouchers are valid until the day after the event and can be redeemed against a copy of We Are All Witches on our website

 

About We Are All Witches:

Weaving fact and fiction in a melodic portrayal of folklore, strength and femininity, Mairi Kidd invites readers to examine their beliefs, investigate the past and find power in the virtues of modern witchcraft.

As stories of suspected witches, healers and those revelling in the power of magic are told, we imagine the lives of these women, not as unlucky victims but instead fascinating individuals whose experiences have previously been omitted from Scotland’s colourful history now challenging the status quo.

As we journey through sixteen short stories of women involved in the supernatural, folklore and healing, from ‘social witches’ who are accused of betraying their communities to those who use their powers to cure others and malevolent spirits such as ‘Nanny’ in Tam O Shanter, we find reflections in modern life and lessons on everything from gender politics in the workplace and reproductive rights to ableism during the Covid-19 pandemic.

We Are All Witches reinvigorates women from the past and encourages us to find our own inner sorcerer.

Mairi Kidd is a former Head of Literature, Languages and Publishing at Creative Scotland. She was previously Managing Director of Barrington Stoke, a prize-winning publisher. A fluent Gaelic speaker, she has an MA in Celtic Studies from Edinburgh University. As CEO of Storlann, the National Gaelic Education Resource Agency, she worked with Scottish Government, Bord na Gaidhlig and local authorities. Mairi is a contributor to BBC Radio nan Gaidheal's books coverage and writes for broadcast, including Gaelic comedy series FUNC. She is the author of many books including Feisty and Fiery and Fierce: Badass Women to Live Your Life by from the Celtic Nations of Scotland, Ireland and Wales and Warriors and Witches and Damn Rebel Bitches: Scottish women to live your life by.#

Zoe Venditozzi lives in Scotland where she writes, teaches and is the co-campaigner for Witches of Scotland. The campaign’s podcast is frequently at the top of the listening charts and has been downloaded over 100,000 times. Zoe’s first novel “Anywhere’s Better Than Here” won the popular award in the Guardian’s Not the Booker prize and her short fiction has been published in various journals. Zoe has just written a novel about madness and psychic phenomena and is now working on a collection of stories set in a village in the North East of Scotland.

Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.

The venue

The Portobello Bookshop

46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA

Telephone: 0131 629 6756

Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com


Wheelchair Access

We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.

Sound

We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.