Susan Campbell

Susan Campbell (born 14 September 1931) is an English illustrator, food writer, garden historian and leading authority on the history of walled kitchen gardens. Biography Susan Benson was born in Ruislip, Middlesex, 14 September 1931. She trained at the Slade School of Art (1950-1953). She worked under her maiden name as an illustrator. After marriage to Robin Campbell, she went on to be a food writer, later becoming a garden historian and leading authority on the history of walled kitchen gardens. Studying at the Slade, Campbell (then Benson) was a contemporary of Michael Andrews, Euan Uglow, Craigie Aitchison and others. In her final year, she was commissioned by the magazine The Sketch to make fortnightly drawings of various towns and social events in the UK. She was awarded an Abbey Minor Travelling Scholarship and also won two prizes in a competition run by The Football Association entitled Football and the Fine Arts, one for the drawing section and the other for the etching section. With the proceeds of these awards she spent a year living in Sicily, drawing and painting peasant life and living very frugally.