Gavin Evans

Gavin Evans is the English journalist, lecturer, and author of several books, including the memoir, Dancing Shoes is Dead. He has written widely on issues of race, IQ, and genetics. Not to be confused with Gavin Evans, a British photographer based in Berlin.

Gavin Evans was born in London but grew up mainly in Cape Town. After a year of studying in Texas, he returned to South Africa to become intensely involved in the anti-apartheid struggle in various capacities. Along the way, Evans studied economic history and law before completing a Ph.D. in political studies.

Gavin Evans worked as a journalist for 30 years — a decade in South Africa, for the Mail & Guardian, The Sunday Times, and as a foreign correspondent for Inter Press Service, Rome. Since then, he has written for The New York Times, Newsday, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Esquire, The New Statesman, The Times, The Independent, Financial Times, and Daily Mail, among others.

His eight non-fiction books include two sporting biographies, a memoir, Dancing Shoes is Dead, a coffee table book on boxing history, two books on popular science (Mapreaders & Multitaskers on genes and gender and Black Brain, White Brain on the fallacies of race science), and The Story of Colour, on the culture of color.

The memoir Dancing Shoes is Dead was short-listed for the Sunday Times Alan Paton award.

Gavin Evans has also written a commissioned screenplay and has contributed chapters to several other books.

Over the past 15 years, Gavin Evans has lectured in the Culture and Media department at Birkbeck College, Cardiff University, and the London School of Journalism.

Photo credit: Twitter @gmrevans