Sylvia Plath, Witchcraft & Radical Poetry

Explore the politics of the witch trials and powerful witch imagery in Sylvia Plath’s poetry. Followed by Q&A. Sylvia Plath, Witchcraft & Radical Poetry Sylvia Plath is best known for her novel The Bell Jar (1963) and her emotive, striking poetry. She grew up in Massachusetts, close to Salem, a place closely linked to the history of the witch trials. During the 1950s, renewed public interest in these events influenced Plath’s writing and imagination. Plath often used images of witches and witch trials to explore power, identity and injustice. Her poetry reflects her concerns about control and authority in society, while also showing sympathy for those unfairly accused. In this talk, Dr Dorka Tamás explores how Plath connects with witchcraft and poetic language, and how the figure of the witch appears in different forms in her work. We’ll look at the contrast between fictional “evil” witches from fairy tales and the real historical victims who were accused of witchcraft, and punished by patriarchal systems of power. Doors open at 6:30pm, last entry 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat! Follow us on IG @seedtalks Speaker Bio: Dr Dorka Tamás is a researcher and teacher based at Royal Holloway, University of London. She earned her PhD in English literature from the University of Exeter (2022) and her Master’s degree from the University of Sussex (2018). Dorka is specialised in twentieth-century women’s poetry, particularly Sylvia Plath, the legacies of early modern witch-hunt in literature, and post-1945 American culture. She has spoken at the Sylvia Plath Literary Festival at Hebden Bridge (2022), at numerous academic conferences, and at the Romancing the Gothic lecture series. She is the author of Sylvia Plath and the Supernatural, published by Cambridge University Press (2026) and the editor of The New Sylvia Plath Studies, forthcoming from Cambridge University Press. This talk is 16+ Testimonials from our guests ⭐ Truly riveting talks, always enjoy these - a great way to spend an evening with some pals. Already looking forward to the next one. - Alexander P ⭐ Expertly run, talks are always super informative and a lot of fun! Couldn’t recommend these enough! 5 star. - Owen S ⭐ Been to a few talks and all have been super interesting. An enjoyable evening to go to either alone or with friends. The talks make for stimulating conversation. Highly recommend! - Daisy J This talk is 16+. All under 18s must be accompanied by an adult, and all under 25s may require government issued photo ID. For accessibility requirements, please contact the venue with any accessibility requirements or visit https://www.glee.co.uk/accessibility/ before booking. Spaces may be limited and will be sold on a first come first served basis. You can call: 0121 693 2248 (Mon-Sun 12-6pm) or email [email protected] with your access requirements and the show you wish to see in order to make a booking. Disabled Access is available by lift. Will this event be livestreamed/recorded? This event won’t be recorded, however, we do record our London events and most of our online events. You can check our our on-demand content at www.seedtalks.co.uk