Cathy Otten

Cathy Otten (2018) is a British writer and journalist based in Iraqi Kurdistan. She writes for a range of publications including The Independent, The Guardian, The New Yorker, Newsweek, Politico, BBC, and TIME. She is a regular commentator on TV and radio, talking about Iraq and the war with ISIS.

Her most recent book, “Ash On Their Faces: Yezidi Women and the Islamic State,” was published in 2017 by OR Books.

As a Logan Nonfiction Program fellow, Cathy will work on a book proposal about the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and its impact on cultural memory during the war with ISIS. Northern Iraq’s heterodox religious and ethnic communities have been blighted by ISIS violence and religious fundamentalism, but also by the U.S.-led coalition’s battle to retake towns and cities from jihadists. By using oral history interviews woven together with background context, Cathy will map the social and psychological impact of war.