We met at Eva Smith House in 1978, when we arrived from the USA to study English literature at Newnham. Our time in Eva Smith House remains firmly fixed in our memories as the supportive setting for an influential period in our lives, where we had many late-night conversations about literature and life.

We invite you to listen to our recorded conversation about the central role of Eva Smith House in shaping our Newnham and Cambridge experience, and how that time provided a foundation for our experiences later in life. We are joined by Kate Argyle, East of England Coordinator from Historic England Heritage Schools, who has accessed relevant archives and historical records to unearth the identity of Eva Smith. Kate shares with us Eva Smith’s wonderful achievements which provide a counterpoint to our personal adventures and reflections.

Our project is designed to be a piece of personal and College history, to engage and entertain, to capture moments in time that are rooted in history before our time and have the potential to resonate into Newnham’s future.

- Karin Horowitz and Leanne Grega