About this episode

The episode discusses Joanna Bourke's book on five notorious women and the societal perceptions of their crimes.

Why do certain women become icons of evil? Five Evil Women: Hindley, West, Wuornos, Homolka, Tucker (Reaktion, 2026) by Professor Joanna Bourke offers the first comparative, non-sensationalist account of five of the most reviled women in the modern Anglophone world: Myra Hindley, Rosemary West, Aileen Wuornos, Karla Homolka and Karla Faye Tucker. It examines their lives, crimes and cultural reception in the UK, USA and Canada, asking how violence committed by women is understood, judged and remembered. Going beyond moral outrage or tabloid headlines, the book explores how concepts of 'evil' are shaped by history, belief systems and social context. Through historical and ethical reflections, it offers a deeper, more critical engagement with female violence, and considers how society should respond to those who commit acts of unimaginable harm. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher

Guest: Joanna Bourke

Topics covered

• female violence
• cultural reception
• historical analysis
• evil women
• crime
• social context

Keywords

• evil women
• Joanna Bourke
• female violence
• cultural analysis
• crime
• historical context

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reaktion

Books & works: Five Evil Women: Hindley, West, Wuornos, Homolka, Tucker

Places: UK, USA, Canada

More episodes of New Books in Psychoanalysis

• Stephen Grosz, "Love's Labour: How We Break and Make the Bonds of Love" (Vintage, 2026) · April 6, 2026 · 54 min
• Osamu Kitayama and Jhuma Basak, "Psychoanalytic Explorations into the Primal Relationship in Japan and India" (Routledge, 2025) · March 10, 2026 · 57 min
• Marilyn Charles, "Echoes of Trauma: Meaning and Identity in Psychoanalysis" (American Psychological Association, 2025) · March 4, 2026 · 1h 18m
• Mari Ruti and Gail N. Newman, "The Creative Self: Beyond Individualism" (Columbia UP, 2025) · February 25, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Erica Lorentz, "Body As Shadow: Jung’s Method of Embodied Healing" (Karnac, 2026) · February 18, 2026 · 48 min
• Joseph Scalia III and Lynne S. Scalia, "Critical Consciousness: Beyond Impasses in Environmentalism, Psychoanalysis, and Education" (Routledge, 2025) · February 5, 2026 · 1h 5m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the New Books in Psychoanalysis podcast page.