Scotsman Obituaries: Jenny Robertson, Scottish children’s writer with an Eastern European focus

She wrote Wojtek – War Hero Bear (Birlinn, 2014), about the bear whose statue is in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens; From the Volga to the Clyde (Fleming Publications, 2014): and a biography of one of Poland’s most distinguished feminist writers, From Corsets to Communism: The Life and Times of Zofia Nałkowska 1884-1954 (Scotland Street Press, 2019). She was the co-founder and a much-valued member of the Edinburgh-based Scottish-Polish book club, Zielony Balonik.

But Jenny’s rich and varied literary career, and interest in Russia, Poland and Ukraine – where she and her husband would later work – began much earlier.

Born in 1942 in Berkshire, Jennifer Sinclair Brown was the elder of twin daughters of William Brown, a Glaswegian, and Gertrude May Ball, from Egham.

The family moved to Glasgow in 1952. At Whitehill Secondary School, Dennistoun, Jenny loved literature and was Head Girl. She went to Glasgow University in 1960 and in summer 1961 worked in West Germany among many displaced Poles, whom she felt should be addressed in Polish, not German. Back in Glasgow she decided to learn Polish and met Stuart, a student of Russian and Spanish, who asked her, “Would you like to learn Polish?” After graduating in 1963 the pair studied at Warsaw University for a year. Jenny then worked as a school-based social worker in Pollok, Glasgow, “trying to keep children and families together”. Stuart and Jenny married in 1966

Christian publisher Scripture Union and Ladybird Books jointly published her children’s Bible stories, written while raising her young children and caring for her mother, first in The Encyclopaedia of Bible Stories (Scripture Union, 1974, 1978). Yorkshire Television then broadcast “God’s Story” between 1980 and 1983, which retold the Christian gospel, and Jenny adapted the script for The Ladybird New Testament (1981). There followed The Ladybird Bible Story Book (1983), many other Ladybirds, and 14 Christian novels (translated into five languages) for Scripture Union and Lion Publishing.

Ladybird’s strapline, “Simply told, simply beautiful”, helped form Jenny’s lucid style. Recordings of her stories by actor Kenneth Williams were recently broadcast on Radio 4’s Archive on 4 as Said the Actor to the Bishop (2025). Jenny’s writing was pastoral, seeking to touch the reader’s soul. She became an established children’s and Christian author, and also a poet; eminent Scottish poet George MacKay Brown was a friend and mentor.

Jenny worked tirelessly with Stuart in his ministry as an Anglican priest. While a Russian lecturer at York, Stuart was accepted for ordination in the Church of England. After his curacies, he was appointed the Anglican student chaplain to Edinburgh University and (in 1983) to St James’ Leith as Rector and port Chaplain, through which he and Jenny met seafarers from across the globe.

Jenny simultaneously pursued her career, addressing topics such as the persecuted church in Be Our Voice (DLT, 1984); mental illness in Uninvited Guest – A Family’s Journey Into Schizophrenia (Triangle/SPCK, 1997); and spirituality in Praying with the English Mystics (Triangle/SPCK, 1990, 1997), and later Strength of the Hills: Understanding Scottish Spirituality (BRF, 2001).

She wrote daily Bible reading notes, and poetry, such as A Touch of Flame: an anthology of contemporary Christian poetry (Lion, 1989), and Beyond the Border (Chapman, 1989).

Jenny had not, though, forgotten Poland – in 1989 Lion published Ghetto: Poems of the Warsaw Ghetto, 1939-43, which gave voice to the suffering of people living in the ghetto. It was The Scotsman’s Book of the Month and Jenny read extracts from it at Edinburgh International Book Festival.

In 1991 Jenny and Stuart moved to the Church of England’s Diocese in Europe, serving English-speakers from all over the world: Stuart – who can preach in five languages – became the chaplain in St Petersburg. Jenny soon penned Windows to Eternity: A Personal Exploration of Russian Orthodoxy (BRF, 1991). Then, from 1998, Stuart was chaplain in Warsaw. Jenny immersed herself in Poland’s life, culture and history, conducted tours of the Warsaw Ghetto and wrote for Prism (Yeshiva University, New York), an interdisciplinary journal for Holocaust educators.

In 2005 Jenny and Stuart returned to Edinburgh, joined St Martins’ Episcopal Church, and connected with Edinburgh’s Polish community. In 2006 Jenny was the co-founder of the Scottish-Polish book club, which she attended and contributed regularly to, online if travelling or unwell. Jenny also used her ecclesiastical and historical knowledge as a tour guide, spoke in schools about her writing and poetry, and continued writing for young people with works such as The Fortune Teller of Philippi (Kindle, 2021).

In retirement Stuart was a locum priest at Christ Church, Kyiv, and whenever they visited Ukraine Jenny took notes which came together as Ukraine: A Personal Exploration Before Putin's War (Handsel Press, 2023). Despite a myeloma diagnosis in 2019, Jenny remained active to the end, publishing The Wolves of War (Kindle, 2024) about a wartime Polish family.

Jenny is survived by her twin Margaret, Stuart, their two children and a much-loved grandchild and great-grandchild. Despite deteriorating health, she penned – with her characteristic lucidity, pace, empathy, compassion and passion – for her great-grandchild the story of her life, faith and times, ready for when he can read.

Obituaries

If you would like to submit an obituary (800-1000 words preferred, with non-copyright image), contact [email protected][email protected]