Kathleen Dayus
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Dayus was an English
author from the West Midlands.
Dayus was born in Hockley, Birmingham
, 1–2 miles NW of the city centre. The living conditions she experienced were back to back slum dwellings with hand to mouth existence, but in a close knit and supportive community.
She described her growing up, married life, parenthood including her decision to hand her children to Doctor Barnardo's
for a period, and later life, in a series of books:
These were brought together under the title: The Girl from Hockley: Growing Up in Working-Class Birmingham, published by Virago in 2006.
She was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree by University of Birmingham
in 1992 in recognition of her contribution to the written record of Birmingham's history. In August 2006 her work was featured daily, read by Diana Bishop and abridged by Julian Wilkinson, as Book of the Week
on BBC Radio 4
.
Kathleen Dayus died in January 2003, a few days short of her 100th birthday.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
author from the West Midlands.
Dayus was born in Hockley, Birmingham
Hockley, Birmingham
Hockley is a central inner-city district in the city of Birmingham, England. It lies about one mile north-west of the city centre, and is served by the Jewellery Quarter station...
, 1–2 miles NW of the city centre. The living conditions she experienced were back to back slum dwellings with hand to mouth existence, but in a close knit and supportive community.
She described her growing up, married life, parenthood including her decision to hand her children to Doctor Barnardo's
Barnardo's
Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children and young people. As of 2010, it spends over £190 million each year on more than 400 local services aimed at helping these same groups...
for a period, and later life, in a series of books:
- Her People: Memories of an Edwardian Childhood (1982), winner of the J. R. Ackerley Prize for AutobiographyJ. R. Ackerley Prize for AutobiographyThe J. R. Ackerley Prize for Autobiography is awarded annually by the English Centre for International PEN to given to a literary autobiography of excellence, written by an author of British nationality and published during the preceding year. The winner receives £1,000 and a silver pen. The winner...
- Where There's Life (1985),
- All my Days (1988),
- The Best of Times (1991),
- The Ghosts of Yesteryear (2000)
These were brought together under the title: The Girl from Hockley: Growing Up in Working-Class Birmingham, published by Virago in 2006.
She was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree by University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
in 1992 in recognition of her contribution to the written record of Birmingham's history. In August 2006 her work was featured daily, read by Diana Bishop and abridged by Julian Wilkinson, as Book of the Week
Book of the Week
Book of the Week is a BBC Radio 4 series broadcast daily on week days. Each week the selected book, always a non-fiction work, is read in five episodes; each fifteen-minute episode is broadcast in the morning and repeated overnight . The Act of Worship replaces the morning broadcast on...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
.
Kathleen Dayus died in January 2003, a few days short of her 100th birthday.