Kitty Empire (born 1970) is the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of a British writer and music critic, currently writing for '' The Observer''.

Early life

Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain in 1988. She studied at Wadham College, Oxford, and Thames Valley University before working as a stage door-keeper for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

and London's Barbican Theatre. Empire describes herself as a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

Career

Empire began writing about music at the '' NME'' in 1995, continuing for seven years. In 2002, she became pop critic for '' The Observer''. She has also contributed to a variety of publications and broadcasts such as '' Elle'' (US), GQ, Radio 4's '' Woman's Hour'', '' Newsnight Review'', ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' and '' The Scotsman''. In 2008, she served as a judge for the Mercury Music Prize and she is a guest judge for the 2022 ''Observer'' / Anthony Burgess Prize for Arts Journalism. Empire also featured on 5Live, BBC 6Music, and BBC2's The Culture Show and Newsnight Review.

Critical reception

Writing in Cambridge University's ''Popular Music'' journal,

Devon Powers Devon Powers (born 1977 or 1978) is an American communication studies professor, author, and former music journalist. Biography Powers was born in 1977 or 1978. Her father, Lee R. Powers, is an engineer and her mother, Mandy Powers, is a nurse. ...

and

Tom Perchard Tom Perchard (born 1976, Canterbury, England) is a writer and musicologist. He is the author of ''Lee Morgan: His Life, Music, and Culture'' (Equinox, 2006), the first biography of the jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan (1938–72). His other works include ...

describe Empire as "one of the UK's comparatively few broadsheet pop critics, and one of the most insightful." Jennifer Skellington notes that Empire's reviewing style focuses as much upon the artists as their art, and reflects a trend towards "a less conservative approach to rock- and pop-related writing" in the quality press. Educator Mary Hogarth praises Empire's " show, don't tell" approach to writing, her pacing, and her balance of description, perspective, and first-hand experience.

References

External links

Profile
at '' The Guardian'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Empire, Kitty 1970 births Living people 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers Alumni of the University of West London Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford British music critics British music journalists British women journalists Canadian emigrants to the United Kingdom Canadian music critics Canadian women music critics British women music critics NME writers Pseudonymous women writers The Observer people