About the author
Faith Wigzell is a British scholar of Russian literature and culture, formerly a professor at University College London, known for her research on Russian popular literature, folklore, and belief. Her book Reading Russian Fortunes: Print Culture, Gender and Divination in Russia from 1765, published by Cambridge University Press, is the first full-length academic study of the popularity of fortune-telling manuals in Russia from the eighteenth century to the present. It traces how these books were produced and read, the role of women as both practitioners and audience, and how fortune telling was absorbed into Russian popular and literary culture. Rather than a practical divination guide, the book is a work of cultural and print history, situating fortune telling within the broader study of Russian folklore and everyday belief. It remains a reference point for scholars working on divination, print culture, and gender in Russian social history.
📖 Where to start with Faith Wigzell
💬 What our editors say about Faith Wigzell's books
“Wigzell provides a rigorous academic exploration that may feel dense to casual readers seeking accessible mystical guides or practical fortune-telling advice. The text is not suited for those expecting simple narratives or…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Reading Russian Fortunes Wigzell, Faith
“Wigzell delivers a dense, academically rigorous analysis that may prove inaccessible to casual readers of occultism or general history. Those seeking practical instructions on how to read tarot cards or perform psychic rituals…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Reading Russian Fortunes: Print Culture, Gender and Divination in Russia from 1765 Wigzell, Faith
