Louisa B. Waugh is a British author and humanitarian known for her extensive travels and deep involvement in conflict resolution and human rights. She has authored several impactful books and spent significant time working with displaced communities across various global hotspots.
Louisa's adventurous spirit was evident from a young age, drawn to the unexplored territories marked in her school's atlas. In the mid-90s, she impulsively moved from London to Mongolia to begin her professional career. There, Waugh embraced the harsh climates and unique cultures, working as a freelance BBC radio correspondent in Ulaanbaatar.
Louisa Waugh spent almost three years in Mongolia, living in a yurt in a remote village in the Mongolian mountains. This experience formed the basis of her first book, Hearing Birds Fly, which won the inaugural Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize in 2004.
Using her prize money, Louisa researched Selling Olga (2006), exploring human trafficking across Europe. While based in Edinburgh, she also worked as an outreach worker for mental health and contributed to a Rape Crisis Centre.
Her next significant move was to the Palestinian territories at the suggestion of Palestinian writer Raja Shehadeh. In Gaza, she worked with a Palestinian human rights organization. In 2013, Waugh wrote Meet Me in Gaza, an account of day-to-day life in Gaza and the region's historical turbulence.
Post-Gaza, Louisa returned to Scotland, seeking peace and solitude. However, her commitment to humanitarian causes soon led her to the Central African Republic (CAR) amidst political upheaval. She spent six months in Bangui, investigating the humanitarian crisis following a coup by the Seleka militant alliance.
For two years, Louisa Waugh managed a national peace-building project in Mali. She gained a deeper understanding of local culture and supported Timbuktu communities in Bamako. Then, she volunteered in Samos, Greece, helping refugees in dire conditions, which she found profoundly impactful compared to the responses of larger organizations.
Louisa B. Waugh has worked in Senegal and returned to the UK, where she now serves as a conflict advisor. Based in Brighton, she continues to write and share her experiences through her blog.
Photo credit: X @WaughLouisa
