Thomas Waters

This is a tale of cynical quacks and sincere magical healers, depressed people and furious vigilantes, innocent victims and rogues who claimed to possess evil abilities. Their spellbinding stories raise important questions about the State’s role in regulating radical spiritualities, the fragility of secularism and the true nature of magic. Thomas Waters, who teaches at Imperial College London and for the Workers Educational Association, explores the enduring power of primeval fears. He shows how witchcraft has become as diverse as modern Britain itself, and reveals why it is currently on the rise.