Delia Jarrett-Macauley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Delia Jarrett-Macauley
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Hertfordshire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Dee Jarrett-Macauley |
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Notable work
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| Awards | Orwell Prize |
Delia Jarrett-Macauley, also known as Dee Jarrett-Macauley, is a talented British writer, teacher, and broadcaster. She lives in London and has family roots in Sierra Leone. Her first novel, Moses, Citizen & Me, won the Orwell Prize in 2006. This was the first time a novel had ever won this important award for political writing. Delia has also created and presented shows for BBC Radio. She is an expert in history, literature, and cultural topics. She has taught at several universities, including the University of Warwick. She also works as a consultant for businesses and arts groups.
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Early Life and Education
Delia Jarrett-Macauley was born in Hertfordshire, England. Her parents were from Sierra Leone. She was their youngest daughter. As a child, she visited Sierra Leone.
She went to York College for Girls and Harrogate Grammar School. She earned her first degree in management. Later, she received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in English from London University.
Career in Arts and Teaching
Delia Jarrett-Macauley started working in the arts in the mid-1980s. She was a director at the Independent Theatre Council. She also advised Arts Council England. She helped manage a summer dance school for African dance. She also worked on educational projects for African Players.
In the 1990s, she helped lead a project for the Royal National Theatre. This project looked at how arts can bring social change in Europe. She has also been a judge for many awards. She served on boards for cultural and literary groups. This includes the Caine Prize for African Writing. She was a judge for this prize in 2007 and again in 2016. In 2016, she was even the head judge.
Her university teaching career began in 1989. She taught some of the first courses on black women's studies. These were part of a master's degree at the University of Kent. Based on this work, she edited a book in 1996. It was called Reconstructing Womanhood, Reconstructing Feminism: Writings on Black Women. This book was the first of its kind in Britain. It explored ideas of womanhood and feminism. It looked at these ideas through the lens of "race" and ethnicity. She also created and led an arts management program at Birkbeck College, London.
She has been a visiting expert at the London School of Economics. She has taught many courses at different universities. These include the Universities of Kent, London, and Middlesex. She has also trained teachers at Goldsmiths College, London. She has helped with many training courses in Europe.
Delia Jarrett-Macauley has written for many academic magazines. These include Feminist Review and Women's History Review. In 2019, she contributed to the book New Daughters of Africa. This book was put together by Margaret Busby. In 2018, Delia Jarrett-Macauley was named one of the 100 most influential Black Britons. This was in the Powerlist 2019 edition.
In 2016, Delia Jarrett-Macauley went to China with the London Book Fair. She spoke at the Shanghai International Book Fair. She also spoke at events in Beijing. She was filmed for the British Council's "Walking the cities" series in Rome.
Her Books
Delia Jarrett-Macauley has written two important books. One is a biography called The Life of Una Marson, 1905–65. The other is a novel called Moses, Citizen & Me.
About The Life of Una Marson
This book is about Una Marson. She was the first black person to make programs for the BBC. Many people praised Delia's book. Reviewers called it "finely written" and "compelling." They said it was "thoroughly researched and well documented." It was seen as an important book that helped remember history.
About Moses, Citizen & Me
Delia Jarrett-Macauley's novel, published in 2005, is about the Sierra Leone Civil War. It tells a story about the suffering of child soldiers and their families. The book uses both European and African storytelling styles.
Many people reviewed the book positively. Aminatta Forna called it "a deeply affecting and vividly told story." Bernardine Evaristo said it was "a very serious and significant choice of subject matter." Francis Wheen described it as "an extraordinary novel about war, childhood, art and salvation."
In The Guardian, Ali Smith praised the "considered and multi-layered story." She noted its "calm analysis" and its promise of "hope and rehabilitation." Maya Jaggi called it a "delicate and brave" story. She said it was a "haunting piece of fiction."
Moses, Citizen & Me won the Orwell Prize in 2006. The judges said it was "a work of great intimacy and moral complexity." They felt it helped people understand a difficult world. They even thought Orwell himself would have liked it.
Later, there was some talk about another book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. Some people wondered if parts of that memoir were similar to Delia's novel.
Broadcasting Work
Delia Jarrett-Macauley has worked on many projects for BBC Radio. She created and presented The Una Marson Story for BBC Radio 3. She also presented Black Women Writers in 1930s England on BBC Radio 4.
In 2006, she made a Radio 4 show called Imaginary Homeland. For this show, she went back to Sierra Leone after 30 years. The program mixed her memories and her fiction. It also showed the real efforts to rebuild Sierra Leone. She has also been on other BBC shows. These include Woman's Hour and Open Book.
In 2022, a TV documentary about Una Marson was made. It was called Una Marson, Our Lost Caribbean Voice. Delia Jarrett-Macauley appeared in it. She asked, "How could we have let someone of Una Marson's calibre just disappear?"
