About Nadjia A'Court

I was born, brought-up and educated in Algiers, Algeria.

I trained and then worked as a teacher until 1969, when I left Algiers for Paris. I started a BA in English literature but in 1972 when all the French Universities went on strike my tutor told me to go to England and do my oral year in England with a view to finishing my degree when the strike was over. However, I fell in love with the huge parks in London and I never went back to Paris.

I worked in London as a French assistant in Comprehensive and Grammar Schools. I then enrolled at college as part-time student to study translation and worked as a nanny to earn my living. This is how I came to ''meet' 'with curtains!!

Back home in Algiers, because we have shutters, we do not need curtains. We have beautiful nets instead! I was intrigued and I decided to try to make a curtain. I went to the library and borrowed books and I took it from there - not knowing that one day I would make a living by making curtains!!

Then I met my husband John. We got married and I came to live with him and my mother-in-law, whom I adored, on Exmoor in Exton, Somerset. Exmoor is a wonderful place, it is so beautiful. I enrolled at Tiverton College to learn more about upholstery where I studied both traditional and modern upholstery.

Most of my work comes through word of mouth.

Nadjia A'Court

top of page