Katie Howson

Katie Howson is best known as a driving force in a number of significant English ceilidh bands including the Old Hat Dance Band and PolkaWorks, playing melodeon and harmonica. She grew up in the East Anglian tradition, but has also had a long-lasting love affair with the polkas and slides of south west Ireland. Katie is a researcher, historian and writer on various aspects of traditional music, song and dance, with several books and websites to her name. Together with her late husband John Howson, she founded and ran the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust 2000-2017. Both were recipients of the EFDSS Gold Badge Award in 2010.