Category:Martha Leigh

Martha grew up in Cambridge, England, where her father was Professor of French at the University. Her mother was a concert pianist.

She gained a degree in English Literature with German at the University of York and her first job was as an auxiliary nurse at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge. Following this, she decided to train as a doctor, qualifying at Guy's Hospital Medical School in London. She spent the next 30 years working as a GP in Wapping, East London, which was hard but fulfilling. This inspired her to write her first book, Couldn't Afford the Eels — Memories of Wapping 1900—1960, an oral history based on interviews she conducted with East Enders, some of whom were her patients. Martha retired a few years ago but has returned to the NHS to help with the vaccination programme against Covid-19.

Her family memoir, Invisible Ink, was published in 2021.

Martha's other passion, apart from writing, is music. She plays the piano and the bassoon. She lives in North London with her husband.