Elisabeth Sladen's Autobiography

Elisabeth Sladen: The Autobiography will be published on Monday 7^th November 2011 at £20 from Aurum Press.

Prior to her death in April this year, Elisabeth Sladen, the actress who entertained millions of children and their parents as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures, had been working on a memoir. An account of her career on stage and screen and an insider’s view of the world’s longest-running science fiction series, the book had been completed in draft form but illness prevented Elisabeth from finishing it.

With the support of her husband, Brian Miller, and daughter, Sadie, Aurum will now publish Elisabeth’s memoir in November this year. A tribute to an actress whose most famous character became a hero and a role model for generations of young fans, the book traces Elisabeth’s story from humble beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through a joyful career in the theatre, to unexpected fame alongside Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. In the process it explores the far from glamorous realities of filming in TV’s golden age, the strange and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom, and what it was like to return to the show over thirty years after Sarah Jane first set foot in the TARDIS.

Elisabeth’s editor at Aurum, Sam Harrison said: ‘I remember my first meeting with Elisabeth - the hilarious and eye-opening stories she had to tell and my feeling of elation that she wanted to turn them into a book. Having grown up watching her as Sarah Jane Smith it was a personal dream come true. She was a fantastic person to work with - fun but utterly professional - and it’s incredibly sad that she’s no longer with us. I’m glad he had a chance to share some of her memories in this book. I hope it will make a fitting tribute to a great actress and a wonderful woman.’

BFI Screening: The Sarah Jane Adventures

[This event is now open to everyone! You can book tickets online here]

BFI Southbank will be holding a special screening of the new Sarah Jane Adventures, September 16th at 6:30. This will be followed by a questions and answers panel with the cast and and writers, and I have to say from previous experience, it is a night not to be missed.

Intrepid investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith and her gang of young sidekicks are back as the final six episodes of the hugely successful The Sarah Jane Adventures air on CBBC this Autumn. In the first adventure Sarah Jane discovers a mystery baby on her doorstep. But with explosions, power surges and reports of a Metal man falling from the sky, Sarah Jane is convinced that there's more to the baby than there first seemed.

Created by Russell T Davies, The Sarah Jane Adventures is made by BBC Cymru Wales and has been a huge hit since its debut on CBBC in 2007. These final episodes were filmed before the untimely death of actress Elisabeth Sladen, who played Sarah Jane, earlier this year.

Courtesy of CBBC and BBC Wales.

Walk For Lis

This autumn, Senior Doctor Who Executive, Edward Russell is going on a 160 mile trek from Cardiff to London!

Russell is taking on this challenge to raise money for Meadow House Hospice, the NHS-funded facility which cared for Lis earlier this year.

From Edward:

"Like many of her fans and friends, I was deeply saddened by Lis' death in April 2011 and I hope to raise as much money as possible for this wonderful cause.

Starting on Saturday 3 September, I will walk from the BBC's Upper Boat studios in Cardiff (where The Sarah Jane Adventures was filmed), aiming to arrive at the BBC Television Centre (where Lis first filmed Doctor Who) in London the following Friday. I will largely be following the National Cycling Route No. 4 - walking the equivalent of a marathan every day!"

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(Edward Russell with Elisabeth Sladen)

You can donate to this wonderful cause at Just Giving- Walk for Lis and follow his progress from his blog, walkforlis.

From all of us here at SarahJane.tv: Good luck, Mr. Russell!!!