Dr Louise Fenton presents 'The Haunted and Cursed Dolls in Greyfriars Bothy'

Senior Lecturer Dr Louise Fenton presents a free, fully illustrated talk ahead of Halloween, focusing on the haunted and cursed dolls in a bothy in Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard.

The bothy is owned by City of the Dead Tours and on the outside of the building is a notice that ends with the words "Oh and did we mention about our haunted and cursed doll collection we also have inside here?…"

In her talk, Dr Louise Fenton introduces the collection of dolls that reside within a cabinet in Greyfriars Bothy and tells some of their stories. From dolls that are believed to harm people, are haunted and that set fires, to the oldest dating back to the nineteenth century.

Dr Louise Fenton is a writer, illustrator and cultural historian.

Following her first degree in illustration from Wolverhampton Polytechnic, Louise completed an MA in Illustration from the University of Wolverhampton. It was at this time that her interests moved towards the representations of marginalised cultures.

She completed a PhD on the representations of Vodou at the University of Warwick in 2010.

Louise is now a senior lecturer in contextual studies. Her recent research has been focused on the visual and literary representations of otherness including Vodou, witchcraft and zombies.

Her interests lie in representational and cultural discourses around visual communication and popular culture with a focus on the US and Caribbean.

The talk takes place virtually on Tuesday 27 October at 5pm. It is free and can be booked through Eventbrite https://louisefentoncurseddolls.eventbrite.co.uk