Lesley Pratt Bannatyne is an American historian who writes extensively on

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

, especially its history, literature, and contemporary celebration. She contributed the World Book Encyclopedia entry for

and appears as a commentator on the annual October screening of “Haunted History of Halloween” on the

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

. Bannatyne is also a freelance journalist who's covered stories ranging from

druids A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...

in Somerville, Massachusetts to relief workers in Bolivia. She graduated

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with a degree in English. Her Master's is in Creative Writing and Literature from Harvard University Extension Studies. Her debut collection of short stories
Unaccustomed to Grace
was published by Kallisto Gaia Press in 2022. Bannatyne's ''Halloween. An American Holiday, An American History'' was published in 1990 and, "ushered in a new era of scholarly interest in Halloween." Quoted as "A foremost authority on Halloween" by Charles F. Rosenay in his review of her latest book "Halloween Nation", Lesley has written five books on Halloween ranging from a children's book, ''Witches Night Before Halloween'', to her latest ''Halloween Nation'' which shows the holiday through the eyes of its celebrants. The book was nominated for a 2011

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...

Published works

Unaccustomed to Grace. Stories
(2022, Kallisto Gaia Press)
Halloween Nation. Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night
(2011, Pelican Publishing Company)
Halloween. An American Holiday, An American History
(1990, Facts on File; 1998 Pelican)
A Halloween How To. Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations
(2001, Pelican)
A Halloween Reader. Stories, Poems, and Plays from Halloweens Past
(2004, Pelican)
Witches’ Night Before Halloween
(for children) (2007, Pelican)

References

Sources

Stories of Dark and Light
Boston Globe
Pelican Publishing Company Author BioLesley Bannatyne, Poets and Writers

Lesley Bannatyne Journalism

Bram Stoker Awards

Guinness World Record

Denver Post interview with Lesley Bannatyne by David Harsanyi

Washington Post (Terry Sapienza) Halloween interview of Lesley Bannatyne

Interview by Harvard Gazette

"Monster Love" by Lesley Bannatyne, ''Pangyrus Literary Magazine''

"Halloween. A History" by Lesley Bannatyne

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bannatyne, Lesley Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American anthropology writers Wheaton College (Massachusetts) alumni Harvard Extension School alumni