Jennifer joined St Anne’s (as it then was) aged 10 in the summer of 1960. After a term at Elleray — when pupils walked each day to Browhead for lessons — she joined the Senior School, remaining until 1966 and taking A Levels in English, French and German.

After leaving school, Jennifer spent six months in Paris — what we might now call a gap year — before going on to study French at the University of Bristol. Since then, she has gone on to build a remarkable career as an author, publishing eleven books to date.

Her forthcoming title, Looking for Mr Schwitters, is her most personal work yet, and the first to feature the Lake District. The inspiration for the book stretches right back to her schooldays at Windermere, when Headmistress Miss Crampton (“Muff”) took a small group of Sixth Formers to Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal to see an exhibition of work by the German refugee artist Kurt Schwitters.

Jennifer recalls being captivated by Schwitters’ collages — created from fragments of everyday life such as sweet wrappers and bus tickets — and how that moment planted the seeds of a lifelong fascination with art, storytelling, and the process of making and seeing.

Looking for Mr Schwitters will be published next spring by Little Toller Books, an award-winning independent press. Through text and image, the book seeks to capture the spirit of the Lakes through the eyes of this avant-garde artist and celebrate the enduring power of creativity.

To learn more about Jennifer’s project and the campaign supporting its publication, visit:
👉 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/looking-for-mr-schwitters---a-new-book-1

Jennifer’s journey is a wonderful reminder of the lasting influence of a Windermere education — one that inspires curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. 💙