Oscar Wilde, October 2018

Balmy breezes, later sunsets, heading for the shady side of the street — these can mean only one thing: Witch Week is coming.

Chris at Calmgrove and I are already deep into plans for Witch Week 2019, a week-long celebration of things fantastical in memory of Diana Wynne Jones, author of Witch Week. This novel, volume 4 of the Chrestomanci Quartet, is set between Halloween and Bonfire Night (aka Guy Fawkes Day), and thus our own celebration of fantasy books.

Taking over from Lory Hess at The Emerald City Book Review, Chris and I co-hosted last year’s Witch Week, which featured the theme Fantasy + Feminism and honored the late Ursula K Le Guin. This year we will focus on VILLAINS!

So, what’s on the schedule? Chris and I have invited potential contributors who have kindly agreed in principle to consider writing guest posts. (Sorry for all the hedging, but given busy lives and general vicissitudes, it ain’t over until it’s well over.)

With luck, there will be appearances by villains from Joan Aiken’s Wolves Chronicles, heavies from a few graphic novels, Discworld antagonists, Narnian malefactors, and even some Shakespearean evil-doers. As this event is inspired by a Diana Wynne Jones novel, the read-along will be Cart and Cwidder, the first installment in her Dalemark high fantasy quartet.

To make things easier for those who want to join us, Chris and I have decided to host Witch Week on one blog only, with Chris first up. I’ll have the reins in 2020, and we’ll continue back-and-forthing yearly for as long as we can do this.

So, dear readers, watch for updates, and put your foot on a copy of Cart and Cwidder. Preparations and previews will heat up on our two blogs in September, and then come the end of October, Chris will lead us through an exciting exploration of fantastic fantasy villains.