Dreda Say Mitchell

Early life

Born in London to Grenadian parents, Mitchell grew up on an estate in the East End and attended a Catholic girls' school. She graduated from the School of Oriental and African Studies with a degree in African history, and completed an MA in Education at London Metropolitan University. Afterward she completed a creative writing course at Goldsmiths, University of London. She trained as a teacher and later worked as an education consultant and "has a passion for raising the life chances for all working-class children".

Literary career

Mitchell is the author of five novels, with her debut book, Running Hot, awarded The Crime Writers' Association's John Creasey Dagger for best first-time crime novel in Britain in 2005. Her second novel, Killer Tune, was voted one of Elle magazine's top ten reads, 2007, and her fifth book, Hit Girls, was voted a top ten book of 2011 by Reviewing The Evidence. She contributed a short story, "The Hotline", to the Mystery Writers of America’s anthology Vengeance, edited by Lee Child. Mitchell has also written for radio.

Mitchell has sat in for Mariella Frostrup to present BBC Radio 4's Open Book and presented Radio 3's The Sunday Feature strand looking at life on housing estates. She has appeared as a guest and commentator on Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Saturday Review, Simon Mayo Show, Night Waves, Four Thought, BBC Radio London, she is a frequent contributor on Radio 4's flagship arts programme Front Row and has spoken to the BBC on her support for Brexit. She is a regular guest on the newspaper review section of Stephen Nolan's show on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Mitchell has written for The Guardian, The Independent and The Observer, on issues ranging from race and class to Phil Mitchell's drug addiction in EastEnders. She was the book judge for the Index on Censorship awards, 2007. She is a patron of the SI Leeds Literary Prize for unpublished fiction by Black and Asian women in the UK.

Mitchell supports Brexit.