Lesley Pratt BannatyneAs one of the leading authorities on Halloween, Lesley Bannatyne supplied the Halloween article found in World Book Encyclopedia and is Halloween advisor to the Vampire Empire. Bannatyne has shared her knowledge of the holiday on television specials or Nickelodeon and the History Channel The Haunted History of Halloween. She has contributed to such publications as the Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Boston Womenís Journal, Happy Halloween, The Sojourner, and Umbrella News and has participated as an editor for the Movement Theatre Quarterly. Her diverse speaking venues range from the Halloween Convergence in New Orleans to the St. Louis Art Museum. Bannatyne was born and raised in Connecticut. After high school, she continued her education by attending Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. She graduated as both a Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. During this time she loved the theatre and even wrote an original musical. Though she did not pursue theatre as a profession, she continued to write articles and plays and even performed periodically around Boston. She is cofounder of the Studebaker Theater (1978) and Invisible Cities Group (1990). Bannatyne worked for many years as a freelance writer and journalist. During her research on Halloween, she became an active member of a pagan organization in order to better understand the customs, history, and celebrations. Lesley Bannatyne, named one of Read More Read Less