Note from Kate: If you donât have a work-in-progress, feel free to write this piece in the voice of one of your students or friends, a celebrity or politician, a fictional character from your favorite book, a character you make up today, orâ¦as yourself.
This article is about the actress. For the Irish politician, see Joan Collins (politician). Dame Joan Henrietta Collins, DBE (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington, west London, and brought up in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War.
Media captionWATCH: Keira Knightley on Joan Clarke. Joan Clarke's ingenious work as a codebreaker during WW2 saved countless lives, and her talents were formidable enough to command the respect of some of the greatest minds of the 20th Century, despite the sexism of the time.