Halloween 2017

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Happy Halloween from Palgrave Macmillan

More than 2,000 years ago, a celebration named Samhain took place in Celtic lands around sacred bonfires. Over the next two millenniums, this tradition morphed into what is now known as Halloween, a holiday observed in many parts of the world.

We are proud to present a selection of scholarly texts which explore topics relating to Halloween, such as witchcraft, vampires and the supernatural. Scroll down if you dare to access free chapters and take a journey through time with us as we discover the history of Halloween.

#PalgraveHalloween

Free Chapters

This Halloween, we are treating you to a selection of free content and are pleased to announce that a chapter from each of the following four books will be available to read until November 19 2017. Simply click on the covers to access.

AUTHOR PIECE: 'Exploited Exceptionals and Stranger Things’s Eleven' by Karen Renner

Karen Renner, author of Evil Children in the Popular Imagination, discusses the roles and narratives of gifted children in popular culture. Read more here.

Evil Children in the Popular Imagination argues that the recent proliferation of stories about evil children demonstrates not a declining faith in the innocence of childhood but a desire to preserve its purity. From novels to music videos, photography to video games, the evil child haunts a range of texts and comes in a variety of forms, including changelings, ferals, and monstrous newborns. In this book, Renner illustrates how each subtype offers a different explanation for the problem of the “evil” child and adapts to changing historical circumstances and ideologies.

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Caption Competition

We are delighted to announce that we are hosting a giveaway on @PalgraveHistory. Simply retweet and caption the below image for a chance to win a spooky bundle of books.

Full terms and conditions of the competition can be found here.