The Radio 2 Book Club with C.J. Cooke

C.J. Cooke joins Sara in the Radio 2 Book Club to talk about her new gothic novel, The Book Of Witching. This is her tenth book and is based on a real-life Scottish Witch-Trial. She tells Sara about her inspirations for this novel, her research trip to Orkney and how the word 'Witch' is slowly, but surely being reclaimed. C.J. (Carolyn) often writes strong, female characters - and from a feminist point of view - and talks about how she handled the re-telling of a real story about real humans, in order to honour the history, but ensure its being seen through a contemporary lens. Here's a little more about the book: Glasgow 2024: Clem waits by her daughter’s hospital bed. Erin was found on an idyllic beach in Fynhallow Bay, Orkney with catastrophic burns and only one memory: her name is Nyx. But how did she get these burns? And how did her boyfriend end up burned alive?Orkney 1594: Accused of witchcraft, Alison Balfour awaits trial. The punishment? To be burned alive.Separated by four hundred years but bound by the Book of Witching, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? And will Fynhallow Bay give up its secrets before someone else dies?If you'd like to get in touch to tell us what you've been reading and enjoying recently, or to apply to be one of our reviewers, you can email at anytime. [email protected]