Caitlin Davies
Caitlin Davies | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1964 United Kingdom |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, historian, journalist, educator |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | Social history and women's history writing, journalism in Botswana |
Caitlin Davies (born 6 March 1964) is a British writer, historian, journalist, and educator. Her literary work primarily explores social history and women's history, with particular attention to topics such as swimmers, female prisoners, criminals, and private detectives.
Family and early life
Davies was raised in a literary household as the daughter of authors Hunter Davies and Margaret Forster. Her father documented their family experiences through a weekly column in Punch during the 1970s, while she herself was referenced by Auberon Waugh in Private Eye.
Life in Botswana
Her association with Botswana began in 1990 after meeting Ronald Ridge, a former Botswana Member of Parliament, while pursuing her Master's degree at Clark University, Massachusetts. Relocating to Botswana, she took on roles as a teacher and freelance journalist, contributing to the nation’s inaugural tabloid, The Voice, and subsequently serving as editor of The Okavango Newspaper. Despite being detained twice—once on charges of "causing fear and alarm"—she was cleared of all accusations and received recognition from the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in 2000 for exceptional journalism.
During her time there, Davies penned the novel Jamestown Blues alongside the historical account The Return of El Negro. Following an experience of violent assault, she undertook research into domestic violence within Botswana and co-established Women Against Rape (WAR) based in Maun.
Return to England
After her divorce, Davies moved back to England with her daughter and published the memoir Place of Reeds (2005). She contributed articles on education and career development for The Independent and authored six novels, including Jamestown Blues (1996) and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World (2018).
Her illustrated non-fiction titles feature works such as Taking the Waters: a swim around Hampstead Heath and a social history focused on Camden Lock (2013). Her journalism has appeared in prominent outlets like The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, among others.
In 2015, Davies released Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames, which The Independent praised as "a fascinating cultural history". This publication inspired a three-week exhibition dedicated to Thames swimming at the Museum of London. Her book Bad Girls, chronicling the history of Holloway Prison, was longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2019.
Supported by funding from The Author's Foundation, her 2021 publication Queens of the Underworld: a journey into the lives of female crooks followed. Most recently, her book Private Inquiries: The Secret History of Female Sleuths was issued by The History Press in 2023.
Between 2014 and 2017, Davies held a fellowship with the Royal Literary Fund at the University of Westminster, later securing fellowships at both the Victoria & Albert Museum and Science Museum (2019–2020). Currently, she serves as a Writing Fellow at Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.
Bibliography
- Jamestown Blues. London; New York: Penguin, 1996.
- The Return of El Negro: the compelling story of Africa's unknown soldier. Penguin Books (South Africa), 2003.
- Summer Magic. London: Bloomsbury, 2003. (short story contributor)
- Place of Reeds. London: Simon & Schuster, 2005.
- Black Mulberries. London: Pocket, 2008.
- Friends like us. London: Pocket, 2009.
- Grandparents. London: Ebury, 2009. (short story contributor)
- The Ghost of Lily Painter. London: Hutchinson, 2011; Windmill, 2012.
- Taking the Waters: a Swim around Hampstead Heath. London: Frances Lincoln, 2012.
- Camden Lock and the Market. London: Frances Lincoln, 2013.
- Family Likeness. London: Hutchinson, 2013; Windmill, 2014. Inspired in part by Dido Elizabeth Belle.
- Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames. London: Aurum, 2015.
- Bad Girls: a History of Rebels and Renegades. London: John Murray, March 2018.
- Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World. London: Unbound, September 2018.
- Botswana Women Write. South Africa: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, January 2020.
- Queens of the Underworld. London: The History Press, October 2021.
External links
- 1964 births
- Living people
- 20th-century English journalists
- 20th-century English novelists
- 21st-century English novelists
- 20th-century English women writers
- 21st-century English women writers
- 21st-century English memoirists
- 21st-century English historians
- English women novelists
- Clark University alumni
- Botswana journalists
- Botswana women journalists
- English women memoirists
- Botswana women writers
- Botswana novelists
- English women non-fiction writers
- British emigrants to Botswana
- The Independent people
- British social historians
- The Sunday Times people
- The Daily Telegraph people
- Daily Mail and General Trust people
- Women's historians