Kit Mouat

Kit Mouat (1 March 1920 – 3 September 1986 ) was an English poet, author and secular humanist activist and editor. She worked and wrote under the pseudonym "Kit Mouat" to protect her diplomat husband. She also used the names Jane MacKay and Jean MacKay, and Catharine Lund.

Life and family

Mouat was born Joan Mabel Sandison in Croydon, Surrey, England, in March 1920. Her father was Dr Alexander Sandison OBE (1885-1972, awarded OBE in 1934), and her mother was Esther Catherine Gold (1880-1937). Their marriage was announced in The Times.

Mouat's older brother, also called Alexander (1914-1990) became a scientific librarian, and in retirement led a campaign against the Abbey National Building Society's plans to become a public company. Alexander collapsed and died after addressing the annual meeting of Abbey National on 10 April 1990.

Mouat's mother had a mastectomy when Mouat was 13 years old, and died three years later.

Cancer activism

Mouat herself was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 1969. In 1986, she wrote:

After another 12 years however, 'inoperable (terminal) secondary cancers' were found in my lymph glands, lung etc. I was given a few months to live; a maximum of 2 years. That was nearly 4 years ago.