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Susan  HAMPSHIRE

 Susan Hampshire è nata a Londra il 12 maggio del 1937, ultima di 4 figli è stata un attrice cinematografica fin dall'età di dieci anni quando ricoprì la sua prima parte nel film "The woman in the hall", ma è forse più ricordata dal pubblico di tutto il mondo per il suo ruolo nella "Sagra dei Forsyte".

 Con il suo primo marito, il produttore cinematografico Pierre Granier-Deferre ha avuto due figli, Christopher che è un noto assistente regista e Victoria che nata prematuramente è scomparsa poco dopo la nascita.

 Il suo secondo marito è l'impresario teatrale Sir Eddie Kulukundis che la dato il titolo di Lady.

Fin quando non è stato pubblicato il suo libro "Susan Story", solo i suoi più intimi amici sapevano della sua interminabile lotta con la dislessia.

Insignita del titolo di Ufficiale dell'Impero Britannico (OBE) ha scritto molti altri libri per bambini.

Amante del Bridge, al tavolo ha uno stile tranquillo che la rende molto popolare tra i giocatori che frequenta ed  ha partecipato al serial televisivo "Celebrity Gand Slam".

Susan Hampshire was born in London, the youngest of four children. She had two sisters and one brother. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a director of ICI. Her parents separated before she was born. From early in her life, Susan struggled with reading. Only as an adult with her own child would she be diagnosed with dyslexia. Having the undiagnosed learning disorder caused her great problems, especially as her parents were both educated people. But her mother was determined to give her the best start she could. Therefore, she was educated at the school her mother founded and ran.

The dyslexia continued to hamper her in her search for a career. Young Susan Hampshire originally wanted to be a nurse but found it impossible, and she found the theatre in her teens.

Hampshire was married to the French film producer Pierre Granier-Deferre from 1967 to 1974. From this first marriage she has a son, Christopher. Her prematurely born daughter, Victoria, died shortly after birth. She has been the wife of theater impresario Sir Eddie Kulukundis since 1981. She became a grandmother in September 2006 with the birth of Christopher's son, Raphael.

Hampshire is a patron of the Optimum Population Trust.

Until the publication of her autobiography, Susan's Story, few people were aware of her struggle with dyslexia. She was undiagnosed until she was an adult and since has become a prominent campaigner in the UK on dyslexia issues. Her book on dyslexia, "Every Letter Counts", was highly acclaimed. In 1995, she was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in connection with that work.

Hampshire has also published a book called The Maternal Instinct, about women and fertility issues. She herself suffered a number of miscarriages.

She has written children's books, including "Lucy Jane at the Ballet", "Lucy Jane and the Russian Ballet", "Lucy Jane and the Dancing Competition", "Lucy Jane on Television", "Bear's Christmas", "Rosie's First Ballet Lesson", and "Rosie's Ballet Slippers", and various books and videos about her lifelong hobby gardening, including "Easy Gardening", "My Secret Garden", and "Trouble Free Gardening".