Anjana Khatwa

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Anjana Khatwa
Anjana khatwa 2021 1.jpg
Khatwa in 2021
Born (1975-05-05) 5 May 1975 (age 50)
Slough, England
Other names
  • Anjana Ford
  • Anjana Khatwa Ford
Alma mater
Children3
Website www.anjanakhatwa.com

Anjana Khatwa (5 May 1975) is an English earth scientist, presenter and writer. She is known for her work on the Jurassic Coast and has received a number of accolades, including the Geological Society of London's RH Worth Medal and the Geologists' Association's Halstead Medal. Her debut book The Whispers of Rock was published in 2025.

Contents

Early life

Khatwa was born in Slough to Kenyan parents of Indian Rajasthani origin. [1] [2] Khatwa graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Geology and Earth Science from Kingston University in 1996 and completed a PhD at the University of Southampton in 1999. [3]

Career

After completing her PhD, Khatwa took up postdoctoral research fellowships at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Utah. A year interning at a U.S. national park inspired Khatwa to go into "public engagement and education" back in England. [4]

Khatwa was hired by Dorset County Council to work on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Team in 2004. She made her television presenting debut in the 2008 BBC Two docuseries Fossil Detectives . [5] She also contributed to Men of Stone on BBC Radio 4 and Nature Calendar, also on BBC Two. [6] In 2010, Khatwa co-created the film Coastal Conflicts, which won the Geographical Association's Publishers' Award. [7] Khatwa's Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team won the Royal Geographical Society's 2016 Geographical Award. [8] Khatwa then moved to the county council's Jurassic Coast Trust in 2016, [3] where she remained until 2019. In 2018, she appeared as the resident geology expert on the BBC Four programme Beach Live. [9]

Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, in 2020, Khatwa joined the Wessex Museums Trust as engagement lead, overseeing Dorset Museum, Poole Museum, The Salisbury Museum, and Wiltshire Museum. [10] Khatwa was awarded the 2021 RH Worth Medal by the Geological Society of London. [11] In addition, she received the Positive Role Model Award at the National Diversity Awards [12] and the Annual Award for Excellence from the Geographical Association (GA). [13]

In 2022, Khatwa joined the Open University. Khatwa was awarded the 2023 Halstead Medal by the Geologists' Association. [14] Having been longlisted for the 2021 Nan Shepherd Prize, [15] the Bridge Street Press (a Hachette UK imprint) [16] acquired the rights to publish Khatwa's debut book The Whispers of Rock in September 2025. [17] [18] [19]

Personal life

Khatwa lives in Corfe Mullen, Dorset with her partner and their three children. [20]

Bibliography

Books

Essays

References

  1. ↑ Louisa Adjoa Parker (29 June 2017). "Where are you really from?: The hidden lives of PoC in rural Britain". Skin Deep. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  2. ↑ Vincent, Alice (27 August 2024). "Revealing Hidden Mysteries on the Dorset Coast". Toast. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Coastal Conflicts: Managing the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site – Seminar". University of Southampton. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  4. ↑ "Dr Anjana Khatwa - Programme Manager for Learning". Royal Geographical Society. 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "Connecting geology and people". Geoscientist. 2 December 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Dr Anjana Khatwa" (PDF). Diverse Talent on Screen Directory. BBC. 2008. p. 58. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  7. ↑ "Jurassic Coast film wins Geographical Association award". BBC News. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team honoured by Royal Geographical Society". Dorset Echo. 10 May 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Speakers: Anjana Khatwa". New Scientist Live. 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "Dr Anjana Khatwa joins Wessex Museums to help boost engagement with underserved audiences". Museums + Heritage. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  11. ↑ ""I'm driven by creating change in our sector"". Geoscientist. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  12. ↑ "Wessex Museums Engagement lead wins National Diversity Award". Museums & Heritage. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  13. ↑ "GA awards 2021". Royal Geographical Society. 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  14. ↑ "GA Prizes and Medals". Geologists' Association. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  15. ↑ "2021 Longlist". Nan Shepherd Prize. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  16. ↑ Dempsey, Isabel (18 June 2025). "The Bridge Street Press bags Anjana Khatwa's non-fiction title in six-figure deal". The Bookseller. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  17. ↑ Ferguson, Maggie (2025). "No stone unturned: the art of communing with rocks". The Spectator. Retrieved 31 August 2025.(subscription required)
  18. ↑ Williams, Rebecca (4 September 2025). "The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth". Geoscientist. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  19. ↑ Trapani, Josh (18 September 2025). "Fall Books 2025: The Whispers of Rock". Science. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  20. ↑ "Anjana Khatwa: 'It's all about passion for nature'". Make a Difference: BBC Radio Solent. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
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