Sister Wendy and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

Sister Wendy Beckett

Sister Wendy was born in South Africa in 1930 and spent part of her childhood living in Scotland.

As a child she was taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame, the order she would later join in 1946.
The Sisters of Notre Dame sent Sister Wendy to St Anne’s College, Oxford where she read English.

Sister Wendy first appeared on our TV screens in the BBC art based documentary series Sister Wendy’s Odyssey.

Sister Wendy lives a fully contemplative life which is one of solitude and prayer.

This includes two hours of work each day which permits Sister Wendy to delve deeper into her love of art.

She has written over 25 books. Her most recent publication is Real Presence: In the Search of the Earliest Icons.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (1937)

Spiritual Letters by Abbot John Chapman (1935)

The Duty of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day by Dorothy Day (edited by Robert Ellsberg) (2008)

The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing by T.J. Clark (2006)

This was Sister Wendy's most highly recommended book.

The Monastery of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai: The Icons by Kurt Weitzmann (1976)

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

Designer, author and broadcaster Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen first appeared on our screens in 1996 with the very first episode of Changing Rooms broadcasting on BBC2. He went on to be involved with the series until 2003.

Since then he has fronted a myriad of programmes across numerous channels. Laurence has been the face of series’ such as Home Front and Holiday (BBC), Laurence and Jackie’s Northern Exposure (BBC NI), appeared on Who Wants to be a Millionaire (with Jackie they raised £500,000 for a children’s hospice).

He’s even had cameos on both Little Britain and The League of Gentleman.

Laurence is married wife Jackie and has two daughters Cecile and Hermione.

In November 2007 the family starred in a new reality show on Living TV, To the Manor Bowen. The series followed the Llewelyn-Bowen family as they relocated from London to the Cotswold’s in search of the good life.

He has a fine arts degree from Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and has released several books including: Decorating with Laurence, Display, Design Rules, Home Front and Inside Out.

Hall’s Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art by James Hall (1974)

Venice by Jan Morris (1960)

This was Laurence's most highly recommended book.

Aubrey Beardsley by Stephen Calloway (1998)

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (1945)

Eloise by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight (1955)