Catherine Nixey

Catherine Nixey is a British journalist and classicist, best known for her book The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World. Nixey's work explores the cultural and religious shifts that occurred with the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire, particularly focusing on the destruction of temples, art, and literature by early Christians. Her debut book won the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction and the Morris D. Forkosch Book Award from the Council for Secular Humanism.

Early life and education Nixey was raised in a Catholic family; before they met and married, her mother was a nun and her father was a monk. She studied classics at the University of Cambridge, later teaching the subject for several years before transitioning to a career in journalism.

Career After teaching classics, Nixey began her journalism career at The Times, where she worked as a radio critic and on the arts desk. In addition to her work at The Times, she has written for several major publications, including The Economist, the Financial Times, and The New York Times.

The Darkening Age

Published in 2017, The Darkening Age examines the transition from the classical Roman world to Christianity, arguing that early Christian zealotry led to widespread destruction of cultural heritage.

Selected works The Darkening Age: The Christian Destruction of the Classical World (2017) Heresy: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God (2024)

Awards Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Non-Fiction (2015) Morris D. Forkosch Book Award from the Council for Secular Humanism (2018)