Melvyn Willin was born in St Albans and educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School. He took degrees at several British universities including doctorates in paramusicology (Sheffield) and history (Bristol). He was closely associated with Bob Morris, Koestler Professor Parapsychology at the University of Edinburgh for several years. He is the Honorary Archive Officer to the Society for Psychical Research. His published books include Music, Witchcraft and the Paranormal, Ghosts Caught on Film, and The Paranormal Caught on Film and more recently The Enfield Poltergeist Tapes and An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Music. Dr Willin has contributed chapters to academic encyclopedias and also helped to produce a CD collection of auditory anomalies in collaboration with the Freiburg Institute in Germany. Recent research includes Perrott-Warrick scholarships into the study of auditory near-death experiences, the efficacy of witchcraft spells, and paranormal demonstrations within the martial arts.