June 30th, 12.30pm. Queen’s Park, London, NW6 ‘Bad Girls and Brave Women: Reflections of a Centenary’ – I joined Shami Chakrabati, Rachel Holmes and Melissa Benn to discuss the history of women in Britain, from exceptional political pioneers to non-conformist rebels to the invisible women who don’t usually make it into the history books… Continue reading
Category Archives: Talks, Events & Writing Courses
Sudanese Women’s Union
I’m thrilled that a copy of Bad Girls has been sent to the president of The Sudanese Women’s Union (SWU), Hanan Babiker. The SWU was co founded by a pioneer of women’s rights and anti colonialism, Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim. She was the first woman in Africa to be elected MP, in May 1965. The SWU… Continue reading
Hexham Book Festival
Caitlin joined Dr Helen Pankhurst to discuss the history of women’s rights at the Hexham Book Festival on May 5th. Helen’s new book, Deeds not Words, outlines a century of fighting for equality. It was brilliant to share the stage with Helen and also a little surreal, seeing as Bad Girls discusses the experiences of… Continue reading
Born in Holloway
An audience member who attended the Holloway Prison talk at Old St Pancras Church on April 30th brought along her father’s birth certificate. He was born at Holloway Prison in 1951. Now she is trying to find out more about her grandmother. Continue reading
Old St Pancras talk
Caitlin gave an illustrated talk on the history of Holloway Prison and the role of the chaplain, as part of the Parish of Old St Pancras’ Spring History Lecture Series on April 30th. The talk was introduced by Fr James. … Continue reading
Bath Spa University talk
June 9th. 4.10pm. Bath Spa University Caitlin gave a talk at the end of term summer event for students from the MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. Classes take place at Corsham Court, a former royal manor where peacocks roam the grounds. She spoke about how to earn a living as a writer,… Continue reading
West Hampstead Library talk
The audience at the Bad Girls talk at West Hampstead library on May 22nd shared many of their own experiences of Holloway. One man, a former solicitor, recalled a horrific visit to Holloway in the 1960s when he was working with a 16-year-old client, while the writer Anna Meryt spoke of her time teaching in… Continue reading
Conway Hall talk
Caitlin gave an illustrated talk on ‘The Hollowayettes: the Suffragettes at Holloway Prison’ as part of Conway Hall’s Thinking on Sunday series. Conway Hall, in the Holborn area of London, has a long tradition of celebrating free speech and hosting radical speakers including suffragettes. It is also home to the library of the Ethical Society.… Continue reading
Haunt London talk
Haunt London, which promotes London history and folklore, organised a sell out event at the Backyard Comedy Club in East London on April 17th. Caitlin spoke about ‘The Hollowayettes: the Suffragettes at Holloway Prison’, while the brilliant Sarah Jackson revealed the stories of the East London Suffragettes. Sarah co-founded the East End Women’s Museum, which… Continue reading
Broadstairs Literary Festival
Caitlin – and her dad, Hunter – were in conversation with Jane Wenham-Jones at the Broadstairs Literary Festival at the Yarrow Hotel. One member of the audience explained that she had spent time in Holloway Prison as a baby in the 1950s, while her siblings were put into care. She believes her mother had been… Continue reading
Norfolk & Norwich Festival
May 27th, 12.30pm. The Adnams Spiegeltent, Norwich Caitlin explored the real-life stories of those incarcerated at Holloway Prison over 164 years, including the suffragettes and other freedom fighters, at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival in conjunction with Writers’ Centre Norwich. She was in conversation with Helen Dawson, former governor of HMP Styal. Continue reading
Oxford Blackwell’s
May 30th, 7.00pm. Blackwell’s Oxford, OX1 3BQ Caitlin gave a talk about a century of women, crime and punishment at Holloway Prison, as part of Blackwell’s Every Woman Series, a year long series of events run in conjunction with the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage in the UK. Blackwell’s first opened… Continue reading
Cat and Mouse Library talk
August 30th Cat and Mouse Library, 6.30pm, London N7 Caitlin talked about the experiences of the suffragettes at the recently renamed Cat and Mouse Library in Islington, just a stone’s throw away from Holloway Prison. The free talk was part of Islington Museum’s Echoes of Holloway Project. The library has a great display explaining the… Continue reading
Highgate Library talk
Sept 13th, Highgate Library, 7.30pm, London N19 5DH ‘Remarkable Women’ – an illustrated talk on both the history of Holloway Prison and the women who inspired Daisy Belle: Champion Swimmer of the World. Continue reading
Daisy Belle at Southwark Cathedral
September 15th, Southwark Cathedral, London SE1 Caitlin gave an illustrated talk on the pioneering women swimmers of Victorian times, and the inspiration behind Daisy Belle. This was part of TotallyThames, the annual festival in tribute to the River Thames. Continue reading
Southwark Cathedral
March 24th, 11.15am-12.15, Southwark Cathedral Caitlin took part in a day of talks exploring women’s history to mark a century of women’s suffrage. Speakers included Elizabeth Crawford on the art of suffragette propaganda and Tessa Dunlop on the Century Girls, as well as silent films from the BFI archive. Continue reading
Museum of London
March 24th, 2-5pm Caitlin was part of a panel event exploring the legacy of the suffrage campaign through the eyes of writers today. Panelists included: Elizabeth Crawford, author of Art and Suffrage: a biographical dictionary of suffrage artists, June Purvis, author of Christabel Pankhurst: a Biography, Di Atkinson, author of Rise Up, Women! The Remarkable… Continue reading
Labour Women’s Forum
March 13th, 6.30pm. Islington Town Hall, London Political Freedom Fighters at Holloway, part of International Women’s Day celebrations. Speakers included Di Atkinson on the suffragettes at Holloway, Kim Bonnar on the Irish Republicans, Carol Turner of Labour CND on the women of Greenham and Marj Mayo on community plans for the prison site. Continue reading
Pow! Festival
March 10th, 10.00am. Turner Contemporary, Margate ‘100 years and counting!’ A day of talks, debate, and discussion. POW! is a festival of Arts and Culture celebrating and exploring issues around Feminism, Women and Girls. The day kicked off with the experiences of the suffragettes at Holloway Prison. Continue reading
WOW Women of the World Festival
Caitlin took part in a panel discussion on ‘Gender Behind Bars’ as part of the Women of the World Festival at the Royal Festival Hall. Participants included representatives from Women in Prison, Inquest and the Centre for Criminal Appeals. The focus was on the harm of prison and how to reduce the number of women… Continue reading
Book Launch at the London Metropolitan Archives
Bad Girls launched at the London Metropolitan Archives, now home to the Holloway Prison archives. It was fantastic to celebrate the book’s publication on International Women’s Day, alongside those who have lived and worked at Holloway. The audience included relatives of imprisoned suffragettes, a descendant of the Duchess of Sutherland jailed in 1890, and a… Continue reading
A visit to Downview Prison
Caitlin gave a talk about the suffragettes and Holloway Prison to current inmates at Downview, Surrey. This was part of Historic England’s HerStories campaign. The women at Downview will be producing suffragette inspired banners, along with artist Lucy Orta and the London College of Fashion, for a mass participation art event this summer. Continue reading