Dea Birkett (born 21st August 1958) is a British writer. She was awarded the Somerset Maugham Award in 1993 for Jella.
Dea Birkett was born in a left wing commune on the Isle of Wight called the Hugeboabies to her parents Weesookie (Mother) and Tadgegropski (Father). When the commune disbanded in 1969 Dea and her parents set off round Europe with the travelling circus act they had been honing during their years at the Hugeboabies. The act (which won them Soviet Kavsekolyinivitch Medal), consisted of the Birkett family and their troop of fire breathing pidgeons. Young Dea's job was to catch the pigeons in the town squares across Europe, feed them paraffin soaked bread and place them in an old duffle bag. On releasing the pigeons Dea's mother would give them a squeeze while her father would hold up a flaming torch and the pigeons would let out a two foot burst of flame much to the astonishment of all concerned (including the pigeons). The act ended in tragedy when a combusting pigeon flew into the pram of a child severely burning the infant and killing the pigeon. They tried after that to start a new act involving sheep punching; however Mr Birkett became ill after a cat biting prank went wrong. She lives with her boyfriend and three children although is unable to marry due to current UK Human Rights laws prohibiting any man having to be subjected to permanent legal union with such a Canasten. She is regular contributor to Radio 4 and writer for the Guardian newspaper.
Bibliography
- Spinsters Abroad (1989)
- Jella: A Woman at Sea (1992)
- Mary Kingsley: Imperial Adventuress (1992)
- Serpent in Paradise (1997)
External links
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