Caitlin Davies was born in London in 1964, and from the age of 11 she wanted to be a writer. She didn’t tell anyone however, until she was much, much older.
After leaving school Caitlin sold door-to-door double-glazing and worked on a badge stall at Camden Lock. She then did a Foundation in Fine Art at Sir John Cass in London but didn’t think she was as good or as serious as the other students, so switched from painting to books. Since then she has been lucky to live and work on three continents.
Caitlin studied American Studies in the UK (Sussex University), which involved a year at UC Davis in California, known for growing the world’s first square tomato. She then studied English in the United States, completing an MA at Clark University.
She returned to England to train as a secondary school teacher, before moving to Maun in northern Botswana, where she eventually became a citizen. Working as a journalist for the country’s first tabloid newspaper, The Voice, one of Caitlin’s of earliest assignments was to track down a talking hippo. She was so scared when she found it, she forgot to ask a question.
Caitlin then worked as editor of The Okavango Observer, best known for its coverage of the removal of Basarwa people from the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve. The paper closed down shortly after she was arrested for ‘causing fear and alarm’. The charges were withdrawn, but she was then put on trial for ‘contempt of court’ after reporting on a domestic violence court case, and acquitted. In 2000 she received an award from the Media Institute for Southern Africa, in ‘recognition of consistent and outstanding journalist work.’ She was a founding member and trustee of Women Against Rape in Maun, Botswana.
Returning to the UK in 2003, Caitlin began writing weekly education and careers features for The Independent. Today she combines writing social histories and novels with teaching, mentoring, and freelance journalism.
Caitlin has worked as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow since 2014 – at the University of Westminster in the School of Media, Arts & Design, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), and the Science Museum.
In 2021-22 she worked on a Covid Stories project with NHS staff, as part of the RLF Social Sector.
In 2022-2024 she was appointed RLF Writing Fellow at Kent & Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, offering writing workshops, one-to-one sessions, and team sessions for staff. She is currently a Writing for Life Fellow.
Mentoring
Caitlin mentors writers through Story Board, which offers one-to-one online consultations, providing support, guidance and manuscript feedback for every stage of the writing process.
Artwork
Caitlin’s hand-painted decoupaged gifts, inspired by the Thanet coast, are available through 7 Bays
Find 7 Bays on Instagram
Teaching
Caitlin is a trained teacher with a PGCE in English and has taught and run workshops in a range of institutions including: The University of Davis (California, USA), Clark University (Massachusetts, USA), Holloway Prison (London, England), Tshwaragano Community Junior Secondary School (Maun, Botswana).
She tutors on fiction and non-fiction retreats for Arvon, and has taught classes and courses for City Lit and City Academy.
Journalism
Caitlin has been a journalist for 35 years. Her work has appeared in Southern African publications including: Mmegi, The Botswana Gazette, The Voice, Marung, Africa International Afrique, The Star, the Mail and Guardian, the Sunday Independent and the Sunday Times.
She researched and co wrote ‘Communities in Crisis: Violence Against Women in Botswana’s North West’ (1999, Skillshare/WAR, Maun, Botswana), contributed to The Africa Groups Yearbook (1999 & 2000), and compiled a report on AIDS projects in Botswana for the World Health Organisation (2000, Durban, South Africa).
Caitlin also produced bi-monthly features on human rights for Metlhaetsile Women’s Information Centre (Mochudi, Botswana), a consumer awareness newsletter for the Botswana government’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and features for the Southern African AIDS Information Dissemination Service.
She’s written for numerous UK publications including: African Business, African Analysis, the Sunday Times, the Independent, the Mail, the Mail on Sunday, the Telegraph, the Sunday Express, Town and Country Magazine, Tate Etc..
She’s also written blogs for VisitLondon, BBC History, the Museum of London, Genes Reunited, and The Royal Life Saving Society.
Talks, Workshops & Media Appearances
Caitlin gives illustrated talks and run workshops at a wide variety of places – national and local book festivals,* universities, primary and secondary schools, museums, bookshops, libraries, prisons, book groups, writing groups, the Women’s Institute, history societies, pubs, lidos, retirement homes, charities, churches and community centres.
She’s happy to tailor-make a talk, preferably in the London area. Please use the contact page if you’d like to get in touch.
*Festival appearances include: Edinburgh International Book Festival, International Agatha Christie Festival, Words by the Water, Borderlines Book Festival, Greenwich Literary Festival, Henley Literary Festival, Archway with Words, Richmond Literary Festival, Ham & High Literary Festival, Wandsworth Heritage Festival, Rivers of London Cityread Festival, Footprints River Walks Festival, Stoke Newington Literary Festival, Thames Festival, Finchley Literary Festival, Broadstairs Book Festival, Hexham Book Festival, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Women of the World Festival, Queens Park Book Festival, Durham Book Festival, Derby Book Festival, Warwick Words History Festival, Wild Words Festival, Margate Bookie, Chelsea History Festival, Maidstone Literary Festival.
Radio appearances include: Woman’s Hour, BBC World Service, Midweek, BBC Radio 4 PM, BBC London Robert Elms Show, BBC Radio 5 Live Victoria Derbyshire Show, BBC Radio 4 Open Country, Monocle 24, Newstalk Dublin, Radio France Internationale, Metro FM South Africa, Radio 702 South Africa, BBC Radio 4 Open Book, BBC London Jo Good Show, talkRADIO, BBC Radio 4 The World This Weekend, TalkRadio Europe, Times Radio, The Breakfast Show BBC London, BBC Radio Merseyside, ABC Late Night Live.
TV & film appearances include: Newsnight, BBC London TV News, Sky News, BBC 1 Country Tracks, Channel 5 Inside Holloway (Wildfire TV), SABC Africa.
Caitlin is an ambassador for the Thames Baths project, which will reintroduce swimming to the River Thames in central London, and historical adviser for the film The Ponds: Still Waters Run Deep, nominated for Best Documentary at the annual National Film Awards UK 2020, and shortlisted as Documentary Film Release of the Year in the 2019 Screen Awards.
The Ponds is now available to view on Netflix.
Museum Exhibitions
Caitlin has worked on exhibitions at several museums in and around London. She has been a volunteer at Dickens House Museum in Broadstairs, Kent, since 2022.
In 2020 she worked with volunteers at Dorich House Museum, the studio home of sculptor Dora Gordine near Kingston, on The Squatter Years: Recovering Dorich House Museum’s Recent Past. The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
In 2018 she served as historical consultant for the Echoes of Holloway project at Islington Museum, providing oral history contacts, advising volunteers and contributing archive documents and objects. The exhibition was supported by Islington Heritage, Holloway Prison Stories and Middlesex University.
In 2015 she contributed to a three-week show case on Thames Swimming at the Museum of London, which included archive swimming memorabilia and modern footage of Thames swimmers.
In 2009 she contributed to It’s a Fair Cop! Crime and Punishment in Islington at The Islington Museum, which featured the tale of two Edwardian baby farmers who inspired her novel The Ghost of Lily Painter.
Competition Judge
2021: Make Space for Women Competition, Community Plan for Holloway Prison.
2016: City of London short story competition, Ponds Project Writing Competition for Young People.
2015: Denia Writers Circle Short Story Competition (Spain).
Caitlin is a member of the National Association of Writers in Education, the Crime Writers’ Association, and the Society of Authors. She is a patron of Highgate Library, north London, and a member of the Mixed Pond Association.
Author photos: Florence Akano