Ruth Dugdall

BIOGRAPHY: RUTH DUGDALL

BACKGROUND

Ruth studied English Literature at university and then trained to be a took social worker, initially working with young offenders, then as a probation officer. Part of this time was spent seconded to a prison housing serious offenders.

Ruth is a Royal Literary Fellow, and worked at Essex University for several years.

She has a PhD in Creative Writing from Essex University and her thesis focused on probation and rehabilitation in crime novels; she continues to champion this ‘hidden’ part of the Criminal Justice and her Cate Austin series features a probation officer as the central character. "Probation officers have more face-to-face contact with criminals than any other profession," Ruth says, "they are the unsung heroes of the Criminal Justice System."