The History of the Female Vampire- Talks in the Pub

We are running two talks this evening, for tickets to 'Gothic Fiction, Gender & The Rise of Dark Academia', please click here.

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.