The History of the Female Vampire

Everything you never knew about the female vampire.The female vampire is a monster and a seductress, desirable and deadly, all at once.

She represents our fears about uncontrollable female desire, giving us a way to explore forbidden sexuality and challenge what society expects women to be.In this talk, we'll trace her history - from ancient demons like Lilith and the real-life Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, to her most famous appearances in classic novels like Carmilla and Dracula.

More recently, feminist and queer writers have transformed the female vampire into a symbol of freedom and female desire.

Modern novels like Kirsten White's Lucy Undying and S.T.

Gibson's A Dowry of Blood rewrite her story to show her power to liberate, not just terrify.

Come and discover what makes the female vampire so endlessly fascinating.Your speaker:Dr Sarah Gamble is Associate Professor in English Literature at Swansea University.

She’s a specialist in contemporary Gothic fiction and women’s writing, and has a particular expertise in the life and work of Angela Carter, on whom she’s written two monographs: Angela Carter: Writing from the Front Line (Edinburgh University Press,1997), and Angela Carter: A Literary Life (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006).Presented by Seed TalksThis is an 18+ event