Born in South Africa in 1954 as daughter to white anti-apartheid activists Joe Slovo and Ruth First, she grew up in London after the family in 1964 arrived in the UK as political refugees. She started her career in theatre before moving into the television and film industry, working first as a script editor and Head of Development in the BBC Single Drama/Films department, where she was involved in films such as 'Mrs Brown' and Shane Meadows first film '24/7'. She has since then worked as a film producer for Company Pictures and Working Title Films.