over the dark period of history she emerged from . Moreover , of the anthologies we read , most were published before the twentieth century , indicating that investigations into the witch ’ s image in fiction have become outdated . Although the notion of reclaiming women seen as evil through anthologies is not new , as Angela Carter ’ s Wayward girls and wicked women proves , the witch , the wickedest of women , is not a focus in her collection . As such , despite Purkiss ’ s argument that ‘ radical feminists , historians , and modern witches ’ have tried and failed to reimagine the witch , there is a unique opportunity for anthologists , those who can retrace cultural narratives through underread voices , to succeed .
Consequently , the decisions of which texts to include that could offer hope of reclamation were incredibly important . As the preface to The Penguin Book