In April 2022, The Witches of Vardø was acquired by Manilla Press, the literary imprint of Bonnier Books UK, in a two-book deal. Set in Vardø on the Varanger Peninsula in Norway during the witch trials of the seventeenth century. The novel based on true events was published on 5th January 2023 and was named a Sunday Times, ‘Historical Fiction Book Of The Month’ with the reviewer calling it ‘a powerful, deeply moving novel’

Inspired by the astonishing true story of Marie-Anne Adelaide Lenormand, The Tarot Reader of Versailles, published on the 19th June 2025 by Manilla Press, is a sweeping, powerful novel where allegiances, betrayals and even fate itself can be forged or broken by the turn of a card. In April 2026 the book was longlisted for The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.

Her third novel Marian Most Bold of Sherwood was recently acquired by Firefinch Publishing.

Anya currently lives in Ireland.

Praise for The Tarot Reader of Versailles

A BOOKSELLER PICK OF THE MONTH

“The author of the dynamic The Witches Of Vardo heads onto the bloody streets of the French Revolution in this equally propulsive epic in the company of two extraordinary women . . . The prose is lush, the love stories beguiling, but Bergman doesn't shy away from the horror of the reign of terror and the harsh realities of change.”

Daily Mail

“Marie Anne Lenormand can commune with the dead . . . [Caitlin] Molloy is also connected to spirits and gods, in her case old Irish ones. Molloy and Lenormand meet, and the gods collide. Readers who like their historical fiction laced with fantastical elements will enjoy this spirited tale.”

The Times

“A sweeping, fantasy-fuelled tale of allegiances, betrayals, love and intrigue . . . full of simmering Sapphic romance and dangerous necromancy.  This is a gripping tale of female empowerment you won't want to miss!”

Lancashire Post

“A complex, epic and engrossing tale, which is part emotive love story with a fantastical edge, part fascinating historical exploration of the French Revolution and part compulsive revenge story, which holds the reader captive throughout. . . . The voices of these two women who find themselves caught up in the heady and dangerous world of the Revolution are beautifully drawn.”

Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman and Love, Sex & Frankenstein

“Utterly captivating. Anya Bergman's vivid depiction of revolutionary France, and the extraordinary women negotiating the vagaries of power, fortune and fate throughout such unrest and upheaval, held me in thrall from the first page to the last. An engrossing, propulsive novel.”

Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites

“I was totally swept up in this epic story of fate and betrayal, love and intrigue. As the two women fight for their futures and ideals in a world in which everything is turned upside down, every twist left me reeling. Bergman effortlessly conjures the glittering excess of Versailles and the heady ideals of revolutionary Paris. Opulent and gripping, this novel is clear-sighted about the costs of revolution, and the people who get left behind.”

Danielle Giles, author of Mere

“Thrilling, compelling and beautifully-woven. . . the startling, entwined destinies of Lenormand and Molloy unfold across Paris and the rugged shores of a restless Ireland - a gripping clash between love and honour. Bergman is - as ever - deft and masterful in evoking the timeless wisdom of mythology . .. this vivid novel sings with insight and compassion.”

Aoife Fitzpatrick, author of The Red Bird Sings

“A dark and delicious odyssey through the blood-soaked streets of French Revolution Paris. The Tarot Reader of Versailleshad me spellbound from the very first page. I adored the original way this novel expertly wove folklore, Tarot, and Ireland's Great Rebellion with this fascinating period of French history. One to savour.”

C.J. Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches

“An utterly magical book that weaves through the history of the French Revolution, casting it in a new light: feminist, fantastical and flawlessly imagined.”

Natasha Solomons, author of Fair Rosaline and Cleopatra

“An enchanting and captivating novel that beautifully weaves together the perspectives of two very different women during the bloody French Revolution. I was enthralled right from the start and gripped by the immersive world Bergman created.”

Angie Spoto, author of The Grief Nurse and The Bone Diver

“Reading The Tarot Reader of Versailles is like stepping into the most exquisite treasure trove; pearls of history are gilded with the mystical to create a sumptuous, ingenious tale of love, fate and the fight for equality. I was transported to the lavishness of the French court, to the wild beauty of Ireland, to the magic of myth and tarot - and I absolutely loved every glorious page.”

Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel

“A propulsive, seductive story. The French Revolution setting is fascinating and captured in all its gory detail, and the hidden, dark desires of human hearts are skilfully exposed at every turn. I devoured it!”

Kat Gordon, author of The Swell

“A joy to read . . . Truly a rich tapestry that weaves together history, love, and a sprinkle of magic. The story is so expansive, I felt like I was walking the streets of Paris . . . It effortlessly wove fact into fiction to create a remarkable story.”

Catherine Prasifka, author of None of This Is Serious

“A beautiful epic. Swept me from the emerald hills of Kerry to the glittering halls of Versailles. A captivating tale of two colliding female forces. Rich, complex and sweeping.”

Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House

“A gorgeously written, at times fantastical and deeply immersive novel, The Tarot Reader of Versailles had me captivated from the first page. Truly, historical fiction at its best.”

Molly Aitken, author of Bright I Burn and The Island Child

“From Ireland's misty landscapes to the tumultuous streets of Revolutionary Paris, Bergman skilfully weaves a sweeping narrative of love and fate, underpinned by the age-old wisdom of the tarot.”

Sandra Ireland, author of The House on Devil's Lane

“Lush, lyrical and utterly captivating, The Tarot Reader of Versailles is a triumph of historical fiction. A truly magical novel where women take control of their own fates - no matter what the cost . . . it brings the tumultuous world of revolutionary Paris to searing life. I was spellbound from the first page.”

Kim Curran, author of The Morrigan

“An epic historical drama that will captivate you from the first page. Set against the bloody, frenetic and dangerous backdrop of the French Revolution, the novel takes you on a sweeping and spellbinding journey through France and Ireland . . . Love, loss, drama, grief, war, death, sacrifice and heartache... this book has it all. I could not put it down.”

Sinead Moriarty, author of Me and My Sisters

Praise for The Witches of Vardo

“Witchcraft and witch trials have recently proved popular subjects for historical novelists. Few have combined storytelling skill and depth of research as successfully as Anya Bergmann..based on historical events and leavened with elements of magic realism, The Witches of Vardo is a powerful, deeply moving novel”

Sunday Times, ‘Historical Fiction Book Of The Month’

‘Why rise of witch lit is leaving readers spellbound’

Read an interview with Anya in the Belfast Telegraph here:

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/books/why-rise-of-witch-lit-is-leaving-readers-spellbound/413495334.html?

“An intricately woven, timeless novel about prejudice, misogyny, freedom and the power and strength we can find within”

Christy Lefteri

“A passionate indictment of the patriarchy ... a vibrant exaltation of the resilience of women ... Anya Bergman summons a historic witch trial with breathtaking detail and immediacy” 

Hannah Kent

“A vividly atmospheric exploration of power in all its forms”

Claire Askew

“Brilliant and powerful. Haunting and beautifully written. A complex and gripping novel reclaiming and retelling the stories of the women accused of witchcraft in Norway. Hugely atmospheric. Read it!”

Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts

“Utterly Propulsive”

Kiran Millwood Hargrave