J. C. Niala

Dr
J. C. Niala
Niala speaking on a webinar in 2021
Born1975 or 1976 (age 49–50)
Kenya
Occupations
  • Academic
  • museum curator
  • writer
Academic background
Education
ThesisBanal Utopia: urban gardening as a practice for materialising utopic city spaces (2022)
Academic work
DisciplineAnthropology
Sub-discipline
Social anthropology
InstitutionsHorniman Museum
Cambridge University Libraries
History of Science Museum, Oxford
Writing career
Language
  • English
  • Swahili
Websitewww.jcniala.com

JC Niala is an anthropologist and historian, who has been the Head of Research, teaching, and collection at History of Science Museum, Oxford since 2022.[1] She is also known for her works as a writer,[2][3] poet[4] and storyteller.[5]

Education and academic career

Niala did her first degree at the University of Sheffield[6] and worked for 20 years in health care[7] before returning to academia to pursue a career change. She went on to earn an MSt in Creative Writing from Kellogg College, University of Oxford.[8] She later completed doctoral studies in social anthropology at St Catherine's College, Oxford.[1] Her thesis, submitted in 2022, was titled, Banal Utopia: urban gardening as a practice for materialising utopic city spaces.[9]

Before her current work at the History of Science Museum, Oxford, Niala was in charge of the African collections at Horniman Museum[10] and more recently worked at Cambridge University Libraries as the inaugural Head of World collections.[1] She was also an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Warwick.[11] Her work aims to empower women.[12][13][14]

Writing

Her article "Why African Babies Don't Cry", an African perspective, has been translated into more than 20 languages and has been used as a training tool by La Leche League and The World Alliance for Breast Feeding.[15][16][17] Her parenting articles have been used as resources in a number of books.[18][19][20]

Screenwriting and play writing

Aged 17, Niala filmed by herself a documentary entitled In and Out of Africa that was aired in 1993 on BBC Two as part of their Teenage Diaries Series.[21] Her diaries were also aired on BBC Radio 4 as part of the series Messages to Myself, where she was the youngest participant in the programme.[22][23]

Her works as an adult include the play The Strong Room, which was shortlisted by Wole Soyinka in BBC Africa Performance 2010,[24][25] the film Wazi? FM, winner of Best Feature Film at the Zanzibar International Film Festival 2015,[26] the 2013 film Something Necessary[27] and the play Unsettled.[28]

Niala's work has been staged at The Africa Centre, London, at the Tate Modern and to celebrate World Theatre Day in New York City.[29][30][31] She performs stories in different countries including at the Hay Festival, in Kenya and the UK.[32][33][34] Her films have been shown at film festivals around the world including Toronto International Film Festival, Zanzibar International Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival among others.

Personal life

Niala was born in Kenya and grew up in her birth country as well as Ivory Coast and the United Kingdom.[35] She was educated at Marlborough College in Wiltshire.[36]

Works

  • 2010: The Strong Room (writer)
  • 2011: A Kenyan Christmas (writer)
  • 2012: Cows are too Big to Eat (editor)
  • 2012: Why the Cheetah Hunts at Night (writer)
  • 2013: Something Necessary (co-writer)
  • 2014: Baby Elephant Safari (writer)
  • 2014: Beyond Motherhood: A Guide to Being a Great Working Mother while Living Your Dream (writer)
  • 2015: Wazi? FM (screenwriter)
  • 2016: A Wordly War: Battle Experiences through the Eyes of African Cultures (writer/producer)
  • 2017: A Candid Handbook For Women Doing Business In Kenya (co-writer)
  • 2019: Unsettled (writer)

Awards

  • 2010: BBC Africa Performance - Shortlist
  • 2015: Zanzibar International Film Festival - Best Feature Film
  • 2015: European African Film Festivals Award - Best African Film
  • 2016: The Oxford Research Centre for the Humanities, University of Oxford - WWI Research Competition - First runner-up
  • 2017: Kellogg College Community Engagement and Academic Merit Award

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dr JC Niala, Deputy Director & Head of Research Teaching and Collections". www.hsm.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  2. ↑ "Contributors". The Oxford Culture Review. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  3. ↑ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The Hay Festival Goes To Kenya". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  4. ↑ "'Mistress' • Poetry School". Poetry School. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  5. ↑ "Migrant storytellers backed by new national programme". The Voice. 2018-01-18. Archived from the original on 2018-03-28. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  6. ↑ Joe (2022-02-03). "Changing Perspectives in the Countryside: JC Niala". The Museum of English Rural Life. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  7. ↑ "This is just to say: spoken word open mic night". Oxford Poetry Library. 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  8. ↑ "Winners of the 2017 Kellogg College Community Engagement and Academic Merit Award" (PDF). Kellogg College News. No. Michaelmas 2017. Oxford. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  9. ↑ Niala, J. C. (2022). Banal Utopia: urban gardening as a practice for materialising utopic city spaces (DPhil thesis). University of Oxford.
  10. ↑ Niala, J. C. (2021-09-13). "Where do you start Rethinking Relationships?". Horniman Museum and Gardens. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  11. ↑ "JC Niala". Warwick University. 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  12. ↑ "Upcoming Hosts". St Hilda's Feminist Salon. 2016-09-22. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  13. ↑ "Business Daily Africa".
  14. ↑ "Jc Niala - Being a great working mother while living your dream". BlogTalkRadio. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  15. ↑ "Why African Babies Don't Cry: An African Perspective - The Natural Child Project". www.naturalchild.org. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  16. ↑ "Mother Support Task Force - World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action" (PDF).
  17. ↑ "Guest Post: The gentle African way to your baby sleeping through the night | Evolutionary Parenting | Where History And Science Meet Parenting". evolutionaryparenting.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  18. ↑ Part, Michael. Balotelli - The Untold Story. Sole Books.
  19. ↑ Brown, Geoff. Fostering Good Relationships: Partnership Work in Therapy with Looked After and Adopted Children (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy). Karnac Books.
  20. ↑ "JC Niala". www.jenningswire.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  21. ↑ "Teenage Diaries". Radio Times. No. 3640. 9 October 1993. Archived from the original on 2025-04-15. Retrieved 2026-07-24 – via BBC Programme Index.
  22. ↑ "Messages to Myself". Radio Times. No. 3876. 23 May 1998. Archived from the original on 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2026-07-24 – via BBC Programme Index.
  23. ↑ "JC Niala". oldfirestation.org.uk. Old Fire Station, Oxford. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  24. ↑ "BBC World Service - Programmes - African Performance 2010: The winners". 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  25. ↑ "Africa's Strength is Her Diversity «  Belinda Otas". belindaotas.com. 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  26. ↑ "ZIFF 2015: The winners | ZIFF 2018". www.ziff.or.tz. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  27. ↑ "Something Necessary". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  28. ↑ "Unsigned female talent uncovered by African playwrights' network". warwick.ac.uk. 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  29. ↑ "Who Are We".
  30. ↑ "Who Are We". Counterpoint Arts.
  31. ↑ Day, NYC World Theatre. "NYC World Theatre Day". Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  32. ↑ Nsehe, Mfonobong. "The Hay Festival Goes To Kenya". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  33. ↑ "Why the Cheetah Hunts at Night and Owen and Mzee(6yrs – 9yrs) - Hay Festival". www.hayfestival.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  34. ↑ "Hay Festival 2017 - Hay Festival". www.hayfestival.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  35. ↑ "JC Niala, Author at InCultureParent". InCultureParent. Archived from the original on 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  36. ↑ "WRITE ABOUT TREES 2023 — Urban Tree Festival". Urban Tree Festival. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
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