Jennifer Lash
Encyclopedia
Jennifer Anne Mary Alleyne Lash (27 February 1938 – 28 December 1993; also known as Jini Fiennes) was an English novelist and painter.
In 1961, she published her first novel, The Burial, at the age of 23. Lash was widely regarded as one of the most promising young people among England's up and coming artists at the time. Upon meeting Jennifer Lash in Suffolk
, Dodie Smith
who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians
, remarked that Lash was, "almost too interesting to be true."
, Sussex on 27 February 1938 to Joan Mary Moore, who was of Irish Catholic descent, and Brigadier
Henry Alleyne Lash
, a British colonial officer, Jennifer Lash lived in India where her father was stationed until the age of 6. When her family returned to England, they settled down in Surrey
. Raised a Roman Catholic, Lash attended boarding school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Tunbridge Wells
, Kent, and continued on to Farnham Art School. When she was 16 years old, her studies were cut short by family problems. She discontinued her education and moved to London where she supported herself with odd jobs to support her artistic pursuits.
In 1962, she published her second book The Climate of Belief and married Mark Fiennes
with whom she raised 7 children: actors Ralph Fiennes
and Joseph Fiennes
, film makers Martha Fiennes
and Sophie Fiennes
, composer Magnus Fiennes
, Jacob Fiennes, a conservation manager, and a foster son, Michael Emery, an archaeologist. The family frequently relocated and lived in Suffolk
, Wiltshire, Ireland and London. Lash went on to write four more novels over the next twenty years. They are: The Prism (1963), Get Down There and Die (1977), The Dust Collector (1979) and From May to October (1980).
Lash's haunting paintings were featured in several exhibitions in places such as The Penwith Galleries in St Ives
, The Halesworth Gallery and Westleton Chapel Galleries in Suffolk
.
In the late 1980s Lash was diagnosed with breast cancer. While in remission from the disease, she travelled to Lourdes
and Saintes Maries de la Mer in France and to Spain's sacred Santiago de Compostella. During this time she wrote her only non-fiction book, On Pilgrimage. Jennifer Lash lost her fight to cancer on 28 December 1993 at Odstock
, Wiltshire, aged 55. Her final novel Blood Ties was published posthumously in 1997 and is widely regarded as her finest work.
In 1961, she published her first novel, The Burial, at the age of 23. Lash was widely regarded as one of the most promising young people among England's up and coming artists at the time. Upon meeting Jennifer Lash in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, Dodie Smith
Dodie Smith
Dorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith was an English novelist and playwright. Smith is best known for her novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Her other works include I Capture the Castle and The Starlight Barking....
who wrote The Hundred and One Dalmatians
The Hundred and One Dalmatians
The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or the Great Dog Robbery is a 1956 children's novel by Dodie Smith. A sequel entitled The Starlight Barking continues from the end of the first novel....
, remarked that Lash was, "almost too interesting to be true."
Life and career
Born at ChichesterChichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, Sussex on 27 February 1938 to Joan Mary Moore, who was of Irish Catholic descent, and Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Henry Alleyne Lash
Henry Alleyne Lash
Henry Alleyne Lash, OBE was an officer in the British Indian Army.-Biography:Henry Lash was born in Calcutta, India....
, a British colonial officer, Jennifer Lash lived in India where her father was stationed until the age of 6. When her family returned to England, they settled down in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Raised a Roman Catholic, Lash attended boarding school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
, Kent, and continued on to Farnham Art School. When she was 16 years old, her studies were cut short by family problems. She discontinued her education and moved to London where she supported herself with odd jobs to support her artistic pursuits.
In 1962, she published her second book The Climate of Belief and married Mark Fiennes
Mark Fiennes
Mark Fiennes was an English photographer and illustrator.Mark Wykeham-Fiennes was born at Dalton, Northumberland, the eldest of five children of industrialist Maurice Fiennes, who was later knighted by Prime Minister Harold Wilson for his services to the export of British heavy engineering...
with whom she raised 7 children: actors Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
and Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
, film makers Martha Fiennes
Martha Fiennes
Martha Fiennes is a British film director, writer and producer. An award-winning director, Fiennes is best-known for her films Onegin and Chromophobia .-Career:...
and Sophie Fiennes
Sophie Fiennes
Sophia Victoria Twisleton Wykeham-Fiennes , known as Sophie Fiennes, is an English film director and producer.-Career:Following a foundation course in painting at Chelsea School of Art, Fiennes worked with director Peter Greenaway from 1987–1992. She managed the UK based dance company, The Michael...
, composer Magnus Fiennes
Magnus Fiennes
Magnus Fiennes is an English cross-genre composer, record producer and songwriter. He has worked with artists such as Shakira, Pulp, Tom Jones and Morcheeba...
, Jacob Fiennes, a conservation manager, and a foster son, Michael Emery, an archaeologist. The family frequently relocated and lived in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, Wiltshire, Ireland and London. Lash went on to write four more novels over the next twenty years. They are: The Prism (1963), Get Down There and Die (1977), The Dust Collector (1979) and From May to October (1980).
Lash's haunting paintings were featured in several exhibitions in places such as The Penwith Galleries in St Ives
St Ives, Cornwall
St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
, The Halesworth Gallery and Westleton Chapel Galleries in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
In the late 1980s Lash was diagnosed with breast cancer. While in remission from the disease, she travelled to Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
and Saintes Maries de la Mer in France and to Spain's sacred Santiago de Compostella. During this time she wrote her only non-fiction book, On Pilgrimage. Jennifer Lash lost her fight to cancer on 28 December 1993 at Odstock
Odstock
Odstock is a village and civil parish about south of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England.In the woods about Odstock are earthworks. The meaning of the name is probably "Odo's stockade".Odstock's parish population was 118 in 1801, 158 in 1901 and 535 in 1971...
, Wiltshire, aged 55. Her final novel Blood Ties was published posthumously in 1997 and is widely regarded as her finest work.