Syd Moore

Syd Moore is an acclaimed novelist and short-story writer whose work focusses on the historic witch hunts in Essex. Her first book, The Drowning Pool (HarperCollins, 2011) looked at the legend of Sarah Moore, a notorious sea witch, in Moore’s home town of Leigh-on-Sea. The bestselling Witch Hunt (HarperCollins, 2012) investigated the hysteria of 1645–47 inflamed by the notorious Witchfinder General. Moore continues to explore the witch hunts of Essex in her current series The Essex Witch Museum Mysteries (Strange Magic, Strange Sight, Strange Fascination, Strange Tombs) published by OneWorld. The Strange Days of Christmas (OneWorld, 2019) is her first short-story collection.

Prior to writing, Syd Moore was a lecturer, worked extensively in the publishing industry and presented Channel 4’s book programme, Pulp. She was the founding editor of Level 4, an arts and culture magazine, and co-creator of Superstrumps, the game that reclaims female stereotypes. In 2017 she founded the Essex Girls Liberation Front to challenge and reposition the stereotype of the Essex Girl. She was also appointed UK ambassador for the Danish charity, DINNødhjælp, which helps Nigerian ‘witch’ children. In 2018 she was selected to be the writer in residence for the Essex Book Festival and began an on-going campaign for an Essex Writers House. Her debut screenplay, Witch West, has been optioned by Hidden Door Productions.

Syd Moore has been shortlisted for the Dead Good Reader awards. She lives in Essex where her books are set.