Margaret Meyer - Event Report

Margaret joined us at Woodbridge Library and held a packed room enthralled by her story of the inspiration of her debut novel, 'The Witching Tide', a stunning and haunting story set in East Anglia during England's deadliest witch hunt, in the 17th century. 

She was prompted to write 'The Witching Tide' when she chanced across a small exhibition in Aldeburgh's Moot Hall detailing the witch hunts in this region 400 years ago. Imagining the horrors of this time of suspicion and persecution, she wanted to use her novel to tell the stories of the women who had been written out of history, and to hold up a mirror to the world in which we live now.

Margaret told of how, as she started to work on this story, a figure 'appeared' to her among a garden of herbs and from this vision she created the protagonist for her novel.

It's Suffolk in 1654 and Martha Hallybread, a midwife, healer and servant, has lived peacefully for more than 40 years in her beloved Cleftwater. Everyone in the village knows Martha but no one has heard her speak.

One morning, Martha witnesses a witch hunt, led by the sinister new arrival Silas Makepeace. As a trusted member of the community, Martha is enlisted to search the bodies of the accused women for evidence. But while she wants to help her friends, Martha also harbours a dark secret which could cost her own freedom.

This is a fabulous book, wonderfully atmospheric and sensitively told. It was fascinating to hear Margaret speak about her characters and story development as well as how her varied careers have led her to this point, seeing her first novel attracting international attention and acclaim. 

Tickets were £18.50 and included a copy of 'The Witching Tide' (RRP£18.99) and refreshments.

Read my interview with Margaret in Suffolk magazine here.

I also interviewed Margaret at FolkEast in 2023 and again in a panel of five novelists at FolkEast in 2024.