For centuries, delusions have been dismissed as something for doctors to sort out behind closed doors. But delusions are more than just bizarre quirks: they hold the key to collective anxieties and traumas.

Based on the Radio 4 series of the same name, A History of Delusions is a ground-breaking history which uncovers stories of delusions from medieval times to the present day.

Join Victoria Shepherd as she implores us to identify reason in apparent madness.

Venue: Maldon Library, Carmelite House, White Horse Lane, Maldon, CM9 5FW

Tickets: £8 / £7 concessions (Student, Under 27s and Jobseekers)

Date and time: Thursday 30th June, 7.00pm

Box Office: Book online or via Mercury Theatre 01206 573948

A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband, and a Walking Corpse by Victoria Shepherd

Why would someone wake up and claim they’re Napoleon?

What made the King of France terrified he might shatter?

Why did middle-aged women in the 19th century try to convince their physicians that they were, in fact, dead?

The answer: A delusion – a fixed idea, not shared by others, unshakable in the face of decisive evidence to the contradicting it.

The brain can misfire in extraordinary ways…

For centuries, delusions have been dismissed as something for doctors to sort out behind closed doors. But delusions are more than just bizarre quirks: they hold the key to collective anxieties and traumas.

Based on the Radio 4 series of the same name, A History of Delusions is a groundbreaking history which uncovers stories of delusions from medieval times to the present day.

Where do delusions come from and what do they mean? Victoria Shepherd’s thoughtful prose implores us all to identify reason within apparent madness.

‘Fascinating and compassionate… A captivating study of how expressions of trauma can be understood, and a powerful argument for treatment by “kind attention”.’ HORATIO CLARE, author of Heavy Light

About the Author

Victoria Shepherd conceived and produced the ten-part series A History of Delusions for BBC Radio 4.

She has produced scores of documentaries and major strands for BBC Radio 4. She holds an M.A. in creative writing from the University of East Anglia, and is a director of Winchester Literary Festival.

You can follow Victoria on Twitter @VictoriaShephe1

#AHistoryofDelusions

Photo of Victoria Shepherd credit: Jennifer Evans