In Oman, where mountains meet desert and hospitality is woven into everyday life, British writer and former educator Kirsten Braund found not just a workplace, but a home that would shape her voice and imagination for years to come.
“Oman has felt very different to the other countries I’ve lived in because of the people — everyone is so helpful”, she recalls, her memories anchored in the coastal town of Suhar, where she spent some of the most defining years of her life. From spontaneous roadside assistance to invitations for tea along the corniche, it was a place where, she says, “nothing was too much trouble”.
Born in Northern Ireland and raised across continents, Kirsten’s journey into teaching followed a degree in geography and environmental studies. What began as a profession soon evolved into a passport to the world. She spent nearly 14 years teaching — from Romania and Estonia to Japan, Thailand and Oman — before returning to England.
Yet it was Oman that left the deepest imprint.
At Sohar University, she taught English language skills at a time when the institution — and the nation — were steadily opening up to a global future. “We were trying to bring students to a standard that would help them in the emerging world Oman was moving towards”, she says. Mixed classrooms, introduced as part of a broader national vision, marked a shift she describes as “a huge undertaking and a great opportunity”.
Her classroom extended far beyond textbooks. A carefully planned visit to a Muscat-based newspaper office became a turning point for her students. “It was the first organised trip outside the university”, she recalls. “They saw how a newspaper is made — and then created their own newsletter back on campus”.
On another occasion, a visit to MV Doulos, a floating library ship brought students face-to-face with the wider world. Watching her students converse in English with international crew members, she remembers thinking, “This is what education does — it connects people”.
Now writing under the name Kirsten Hamilton-Sturdy, Kirsten contributes to travel platforms including Bradt and Exploration Revealed. Her forthcoming work — a series of Arab-inspired fairy tales — draws deeply from her years in the region. “When you live somewhere, you understand its people, culture and traditions on another level”, she says.
Her Oman, however, is not just about classrooms and stories, but landscapes that linger in memory. The towering heights of Jabal Shams, the shifting sands of the desert and the quiet rhythm of fishing villages form the backdrop of what she calls “some of the best years of my life”. Camping under vast night skies and exploring wadis during winter became rituals of a life lived close to nature.
She also witnessed transformation. Suhar, once a quiet coastal town with a handful of expats, grew rapidly with the development of its port. “It changed the fishing village feel”, she reflects, though she acknowledges the opportunities it brought.
Returning in 2021 after the pandemic, she found a country balancing growth with identity. “Oman was still magical”, she says, even as tourism expanded. “I hope it remains true to its heritage”.
For Kirsten, Oman is ultimately about people. “They are among the kindest and most welcoming you will meet”, she says, recalling weddings, family gatherings and friendships that endure.
Her connection to the region, however, began long before Suhar. As a child of globally mobile parents, she travelled widely — from Nigeria to Yemen — experiences she only later realised were extraordinary. “I thought all children were doing what I was doing”, she says with a smile.
Today, those early journeys — and her years in Oman — converge in her writing. And while her stories may soon reach new audiences, one hope remains close to her heart: “I’d love to return... maybe one day read my stories at Sohar University. That would be a dream.
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