Lesley Pratt Bannatyne is an American historian who writes extensively on Halloween, especially its history, literature, and contemporary celebration. She contributed the World Book Encyclopedia[1] entry for Halloween and appears as a commentator on the annual October screening of “Haunted History of Halloween” on the History Channel. Bannatyne is also a freelance journalist who's covered stories ranging from druids in Somerville, Massachusetts to relief workers in Bolivia.[2] She graduated Phi Beta Kappa 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.[3]" 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.
