Shirley Sherwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shirley Angela Cross 1 July 1933[1] |
| Education | University of Oxford |
| Occupation | Author |
| Known for | Interest in botanical illustration |
| Notable work | See Bibliography |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 sons |
Shirley Angela Sherwood OBE (née Cross, born 1 July 1933) is a British writer, botanist and philanthropist.
She was born Shirley Cross.[2] Sherwood was educated at St Anne's College, Oxford. She took a bachelor's degree in botany and a D.Phil. working on a project that led to tagamet.[3]
She is primarily a collector of,[4] and author of books about,[4][5] botanical illustrations. The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, opened on 19 April 2008, at Kew Gardens is named after her.[4] It was the first gallery in the world dedicated solely to botanical art. Sherwood has been described as a "driving force behind a revival of interest in botanical art".[6]
She is a vice-president of the Nature in Art Trust.[7]
Sherwood was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to botanical art.[8]
In 1977, Sherwood married the businessman James Sherwood,[2][9] who appeared in the 2004 Sunday Times Rich List.[10]
Her sons, Simon and Charles, from her previous marriage adopted his surname.[2]
