Gwen studied costume design and spent a short time working in wardrobe and styling, at one stage working for Colleen Atwood illustrating the costume designs for Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd. She later decided to focus on book illustration alongside working as a genealogist.
Her wider interests in historic costume, English folk traditions and social history suffuse her work, along with her wry humour, affection for people and delight in the macabre. She co-authored Old Songs: stories of love and death from traditional ballads with Amy Jeffs which was listed as one of Waterstones' best history books of 2025. She is currently working on her first children's book, which is the realisation of a lifelong ambition.
Gwen lives and works in Somerset with her husband and three daughters. She is the founder and Squire of The Bounds of Selwood - an all-female Morris dancing side and she spends her free time singing, playing music at folk sessions and dancing.
