Dr Jan Machielsen wins award for best book in European history category
7 April 2025
Dr Jan Machielsen, a leading historian of early modern witchcraft and demonology, has won an award for best book in the European history category.
The Basque Witch-Hunt: A Secret History is his third monograph, won the European History category of the United States Prose Awards 2025.
The book, published in 2024, investigates the truth behind one of early modern Europe’s most sensational witchcraft treatises, written by the Bordeaux judge Pierre de Lancre who had conducted a major witch-hunt in the French Basque Country.
The Tableau de l’inconstance des mauvais anges at demons (Tableau of the Inconstancy of Evil Angels and Demons, 1612) contains some of the most graphic descriptions of the sabbat, the supposed nocturnal gatherings where witches worshipped the devil, shaping how historians have come to see early modern witch-hunting.
Dr Machielsen’s book attempts to work out what really happened during this witch-hunt, which was France’s deadliest. On winning the award, he said, “The award is a considerable honour given how vast the field of European history is, and because of the really wonderful books that have won the award in previous years.
I had no idea my book was even considered for the prize until Bloomsbury Publishing’s Rhodri Mogford, Editorial Director, got in touch with me with the amazing news.
“I had no idea my book was even considered for the prize until Bloomsbury Publishing’s Rhodri Mogford, Editorial Director,got in touch with me with the amazing news.”
Rhodri, who worked with Dr Machielsen as the book’s editor at Bloomsbury, is also delighted with the hard-earned and prestigious accolade, “Jan’s irresistible blend of meticulous research of the highest order and a compelling and energetic writing style, allied to the truly fascinating historical episode uncovered, makes The Basque Witch-Hunt a stand-out read and a worthy winner of this award.
“It is a tremendous achievement and I speak for everyone at Bloomsbury when I say we are extremely proud to be the publisher of this remarkable book.”
Dr Machielsen was one of 37 category winners in scholarly and research publications across biological and life sciences, humanities, physical sciences, mathematics and social sciences.
On future work, he said, “I’m working on several other projects, including tracing how a story of a haunted house travelled from Burgundy in eastern France all the way to Wales.
“But witchcraft is a grim area of research, and I am also developing new interests, so I’ve been working of late more on saints – on how people came to be seen as particularly good or holy, rather than exceptionally wicked.”
Find out more about Dr Machielsen, his award-winning book and history at Cardiff University.
