5 favourite witchy books

I can probably trace my love for quirky stories and witches back to a colouring book I got around age five, with witches riding on different kinds of vacuum cleaners. My weird little heart lit up, and I felt utterly seen. 

Until then, the books I received featured sanitised fairy tales with princesses who were only interested in finding their true love, which left me stone cold. The only parts I liked were the bits with magic pumpkins, enchanted cottages, and, of course, witches. 

When I started writing my novel Witchspark, and the sequel, Witchlight, I wanted to draw upon my love of some of my favourite bits in those stories, giving it a Disney-esque feel. So, in the mischievous, gothic house Huswyvern, where much of the story is set, footstools act like dogs, coat racks run after you to hand you umbrellas, and a dragon-butler brews speciality teas. 

It’s set in an alternative, magical pre-Victorian Britain, where magic has transformed society and sped up certain changes, like rights for women and better conditions for the poor. There are two aspiring witches, a magical sentient home, and a banned magical correspondence course (run by outlawed witch Miss Hegotty), where those who are bold and brave enough to join discover the truth – that someone has been preventing certain children from unlocking their magic, like girls and the poor. 

This ​‘someone’ wants to turn back the clock and keep power in the hands of those who traditionally wielded it – wealthy men! But Miss Hegotty offers a chance to restore the balance. Miss Hegotty was inspired by the kinds of witches I love reading about most – quirky, practical and formidable.

When it comes to writing about witches with heart, wit and charm, no one did it better than Terry Pratchett. 

Tiffany Aching is a witch who doesn’t know she is a witch, but all the signs are there. Not because she has magic sprouting from her fingertips, but because she is the sort of person who, when a monster snatches her little brother away to fairyland, fetches her biggest cast iron frying pan in order to fight back, remembering that even if this is all a dream, fairies are allergic to iron and proving that cleverness is really a power all of its own. 

It’s the most joyous, wonderful, witchy series. 

This is one of those books I wish I’d written. It’s fun, charming, and funny, with fabulous characters. 

It features a young girl called Elsie Pickles, who offers to house-sit the home of a local witch, Magenta Sharp: it’s a magical tower with a talking raven and a book that tells her everything she needs to know. Even so, she soon discovers that being a witch for a week might not be as easy as she imagined. 

I adored this book. The Widdershins sisters are forbidden from leaving their home on Crowstone by a centuries-old curse. But when they inherit three magical objects, they might just have enough magic to break the curse. 

Delightfully different and gorgeously atmospheric, featuring beautiful writing and truly funny moments. 

The first non-fiction book on the list, but a true future classic for any aspiring witch. 

Hettie Nettle’s Handbook features a month-by-month guide to the world of magic all around us (but which only children can see), full of glorious secrets, tips, celebrity interviews with characters like Jack Frost, and seasonal tales. Everything is accompanied by beautiful illustrations – it’s a real treasure trove of a book. 

Headstrong witch Chantel is often in trouble with headmistress Miss Ellicott, who believes deportment lessons for young ladies are far more important than learning useful magic, like how to protect oneself. 

But when the city’s sorcerers start to disappear, including Miss Ellicott herself, it’s up to Chantel to find them, and to practise the magic she has been forbidden from using. Charming, whimsical, and funny. 

Witchspark and Witchlight by Dominique Valente are out now.