Kate Phillips spent her working life as an international social development specialist conducting research and training community educators to build a civil society which would strengthen rights and opportunities. She established a charity based at the University of Glasgow, where she directed a post graduate fellowship bringing international rights activists to study here in Britain. On her retirement she took up an interest in British slavery and began researching and giving talks. She published her book ‘Bought and Sold, Scotland, Jamaica and Slavery’ in 2022.