Elizabeth Frances Downing was born in 1950 in Rainham, England. At about nine years old, she, her two older brothers, and her mother packed up, boarded a ship, and made the long trek across the ocean to join her father in Luanshya, Zambia, where she would live most of her life.

In the early 1970s, she met and married her husband Dick Downing, and they soon welcomed two daughters. The family lived in Luanshya, Ndola, Mufulira, and Kitwe, with their most challenging chapter in Murundu on the outskirts of Mufulira.

They later returned to the UK due to Dick’s illness, and he sadly passed away on 13th January, 2008. Liz then moved back to Zambia to be with her daughters and granddaughter. She continues to reside in Kitwe with several beloved dogs and cats.

Elizabeth is the author of Letters From Beyond the Back of Beyond, a work that reflects her life experiences and deep connection to Zambia.