68 - The Burnings: 16th century witch trials - with Naomi Kelsey

The Burnings is the debut novel from author Naomi Kelsey, and tells the story of some of the women accused of witchcraft during a period of intense persecution in 16th century Scotland. 

We were lucky enough to be joined at the castle by Naomi, who told us all about the history behind the book from early modern medicine to Stuart court intrigue, her process of researching characters and other historical details, and much more. The Wizard Earl of Northumberland, one of our favourites here on the podcast, was lord of Alnwick Castle while the North Berwick witch trials were ongoing, and he is discussed in this episode as an apparent magic user who seemed to be immune from suspicion.

We also talk about literary and historical inspirations with Naomi, from Tracy Borman to Terry Pratchett!

You can find The Burnings in hardback or paperback now from all good bookshops and you can follow Naomi on Twitter and Instagram.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to follow us too! You can find Alnwick Castle on all major social media platforms - why not leave a post to tell us you're a fan of the podcast - we'd love to read it!