Q&A with The Conspiracists author Noelle Cook

Noelle Cook joins the DAUK Political Book Club on July 21 to discuss her book The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging.

Reviewing photos from the January 6 insurrection, Cook was struck by how many women looked like her: middle-aged, white, bundled in puffy coats. Women weren’t on the fringes of the radicalizing right, she realized—they were central to it.  Cook brings us along on a journey into conspirituality, where New Age spirituality, online wellness culture, and far-right extremism blend—often laced with antisemitic and racist conspiracy theories. 

Her work is the basis for the award-winning documentary film The Conspiracists with British filmmaker Liz Smith of Page 75 Productions.  The film was screened all around the UK in February and April.  The next screening is Sep 8 at Sustainable Hackney in London.  Watch the trailer here.

Cook is an ethnographer and researcher focusing on the intersection of gender, extremism, and disinformation. 

To make sure to get a book, you can buy it at this Waterstones link. 

The Conspiracists comes at a moment when conspiracy narratives are increasingly shaping public debate — from online misinformation ecosystems to real-world political movements — raising urgent questions about how societies process information, who is trusted, and how consensus can be rebuilt. 

The Conspiracists shows that when belonging and identity are on the line, facts are negotiable and the unbelievable feels like home.

--Travis View, host of the podcast QAnon Anonymous

A richly detailed, lucid, and compassionate account of the world of conspiracism.  Through the personal journeys of two women, The Conspiracists cast an essential light on the appeal and endurance of conspiracy theories in a time of polarization and political extremism.

--Cecile Simmons, author of CTRL, HATE, DELETE

"This isn’t about dismissing people as ‘conspiracy theorists’. It’s about understanding why these beliefs are taking hold now, what they tell us about the world we’re living in, and how we begin to have more honest, open conversations across divides.”

--Liz Smith

Conspirituality is coping - Read this interview of Noelle Cook and Liz Smith by Byline Times’ Editor in Chief