Kathrine Sorley Walker (1920–2015)

Kathrine Sorley Walker was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, a daughter of Edith and James Sorley Walker, an officer in the Scottish Rifles in World War I. Her parents had been posted to India, but her mother returned to Aberdeen to give birth. After her father died prematurely in India, her mother moved the two of them to London. Kathrine attended St. Margaret’s School in Aberdeen, King’s College, London, and Besançon University in France. She became a renowned writer, editor, and critic with a particular focus on ballet. She reviewed dance performances for a variety of outlets including Dancing Times and Dance International, as well as serving as the ballet critic for The Daily Telegraph for 24 years.
She contributed articles on Anna Pavlova, George Balanchine, and Michel Fokine for the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Among her many books on dance, beginning with Brief for Ballet in 1947, Kathrine co-wrote a history of The Royal Ballet as well as a biography of the company's founder, Ninette de Valois. She also wrote biographies of Saladin and Cyril W. Beaumont. In addition, she served as the co-editor for the correspondence of American novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler following his death in 1959. She was also a published poet and often celebrated her Scottish heritage in her poems as well as in works such as Scottish Legacy.