Holloway Prison, the most infamous jail for women in Europe, closed in 2016. Campaigners have been working tirelessly ever since … read more
Category Archives: News & Press Coverage
The Ladies’ Pond: Katy Carr
Singer Katy Carr is about to release her new album Providence, which includes a wonderful song on the Hampstead … read more
Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Photo Book
Photographer Ruth Corney has published a book celebrating 20 years of photographing the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond on Hampstead Heath … read more
The Man Fish – Harry Gurr
Harry Gurr, champion swimmer of England in the 1860s, was also known as the Man Fish and was famous for … read more
#MuseumsUnlocked
A lockdown project on museums and heritage focused on Swimming: Images and Places, including two features on Thames swimming, drawn … read more
A History of Holloway
Reclaim Holloway is a coalition fighting for a Women’s Building to be built on the site of the former … read more
The Ponds nominated for National Film Awards
The Ponds has been nominated for Best Documentary at the annual National Film Awards UK. The awards will … read more
London’s Famous Baths
The Hornsey Road Baths in Islington were once famed for hosting swimming superstars, including the Beckwith family who inspired Daisy … read more
Swimmers Return to Natural Water
The Guardian has run a feature on the rise of chemical-free pools, with a mention of Downstream and the Victorian … read more
The Ponds shortlisted for documentary award
The Ponds has been shortlisted as Documentary Film Release of the Year in this year’s Screen Awards. Congratulations to … read more
Queens of the Underworld announcement
The Bookseller has just announced that Queens of the Underworld will be published by The History Press in October 2021.… read more
Society of Authors Grant
I’m thrilled to have received a grant from the Authors’ Foundation, administrated by the Society of Authors. The grants are … read more
Bad Girls large print edition
A large print edition of Bad Girls has been published by W.F Howes, under the Clipper Large Print imprint.… read more
Botswana Women Write
I’m thrilled that an extract from Place of Reeds has been included in Botswana Women Write, an anthology of … read more
Holloway Women’s Building
Three years after the closure of Holloway Prison, Peabody (who now own the site) say they are committed to a … read more
Jailed for Protesting a Film
In 1952 Pat Seares, a ‘housewife from London’, was jailed at Holloway Prison because she’d shouted protests after a showing … read more
Bad Girls longlisted for Orwell Prize
Bad Girls has been longlisted for The Orwell Prize, the UK’s ‘most prestigious’ prize for political writing. Four prizes are … read more
Soyez Synchro!
Filmmaker Anne-Sophie Gomez has made a series of short thematic videos about swimming pools in art. In her latest, Soyez … read more
Burgh House Swimming Exhibition
Women at the Kenwood Ladies Pond in the 1920s, copyright John Neal.
Burgh House in Hampstead is hosting an exhibition … read more
Peabody buys HMP Holloway Site
Peabody has acquired the site of HMP Holloway Prison and has announced its intention to build 1000 homes, of which … read more
Care Experienced Conference
Family Likeness features in a series of book cover rocks to be displayed during The Care Experienced Conference at Liverpool … read more
Isle of Thanet News
The Isle of Thanet News has featured the Daisy Belle event at the Broadstairs Literary Festival, where I’ll be talking … read more
Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the V&A
I’m thrilled to be starting work at the magnificent Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, … read more
Swimming with Seals
Last May I was lucky enough to swim with seals in the Scilly Isles, thanks to a trip organised by … read more
The Ponds film premiere
The Ponds: Still Waters Run Deep follows the swimmers of Hampstead Heath over the course of a year. It’s a … read more
‘Lady swimmers who conquered the world’
An interview in the Ham & High about the women who inspired Daisy Belle, ‘the story of a courageous Victorian … read more
The famous Hornsey Road Baths
Hornsey Road Baths in Islington, north London, were once known far and wide for staging performances by international swimming champions, … read more