The Wax Child

Synopsis

From the internationally celebrated author of The Employees and My Work comes an extraordinary, haunting tale of witchcraft and persecution.

In seventeenth-century Denmark, unmarried noblewoman Christenze Kruckow and several other women are accused of witchcraft. They are rumoured to be possessed by the Devil, who comes to them in the form of a tall, headless man and grants them dark powers. It is said they perform unchristian acts and can steal people's happiness, cause pestilence, illness, or even death. Once the rumour of witchcraft takes hold, they are all in danger of the stake.

Narrated by a wax doll created by Christenze one dark night in 1620, The Wax Child is an unsettling, dizzying novel about brutality and power, nature and witchcraft, set within the fragile communities of pre-modern Europe.

Deeply researched and steeped in visceral, atmospheric detail, The Wax Child is inspired by a series of infamous witchcraft trials in Northern Jutland. Olga Ravn weaves together quotes from original sources—including letters, court documents, magic spells, and Scandinavian grimoires—to create a work of startling imagination and unforgettable literary power.

About the Author

Olga Ravn is a Danish novelist, poet, and critic whose work explores memory, history, motherhood, and the uncanny. She is the author of The Employees, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, and My Work. Her writing has been translated into numerous languages and is celebrated for its originality, intelligence, and distinctive literary voice. The Wax Child, translated by Martin Aitken, was longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.

Publisher
Book*hug Press

Publication Date
September 30, 2025

Format
Paperback

Pages
223

Subjects
Literary Fiction · Translated Fiction · Historical Fiction · Gothic Fiction · Folk Horror · Witchcraft · Scandinavian Literature

ISBN
9781771669726