Angela Dunstan – The Conversation

Rhea Perlman as Mrs Wormwood in the film adaptation of Matilda (1996). Everett Collection Inc

March 13, 2026

The nine worst mothers in literature – according to our experts

Alison Taft, Leeds Beckett University; Ailish Kate Brassil, University College Cork; Angela Dunstan, Queen Mary University of London; Christina Hennemann, University of Limerick; Clodagh Philippa Guerin, University of Limerick; Edel Semple, University College Cork; Faye Lynch, University of Liverpool; Sarah Olive, Aston University; Stephanie Palmer, Nottingham Trent University, and Wen-chin Ouyang, SOAS, University of London

From serious villains to children’s book baddies, these literary mothers subvert every maternal instinct.