Background
Barbara Sleigh was born in Birmingham, the daughter of the artist Bernard Sleigh and his wife Stella, née Phillp, who had married in 1901.
Barbara Sleigh was born in Birmingham, the daughter of the artist Bernard Sleigh and his wife Stella, née Phillp, who had married in 1901.
Having attended art college and teacher"s training college, Sleigh taught in various schools before joining the teacher training department at Goldsmith"s College in London in 1929.
Both came from a Methodist background, but she was brought up an Anglican. The family moved to Chesham for a time, then back to Birmingham. The marriage broke up in about 1914.
Her older brother, Brocas Linwood Sleigh (1902–1965), was also a writer
She went to work for the British Broadcasting Corporation programme Children"s Hour in 1932. She resigned and turned to freelance writing, film criticism and broadcasting.