The illustrator Celia Levetus (aka Diana Forbes) was born in Montreal to English parents in 1874. The family had an artistic bent - her father was a sometime professional singer, who turned to the silverware business along with his brother, and an aunt (Amelia S. Levetus) was a writer on art and the Viennese correspondent of the Studio. The family returned to Britain in 1878, living first in Maida Vale, London, and then removing to Edgbaston, Birmingham in about 1887. She attended the Birmingham School of Art during the 1890s, where she was taught by Walter Crane and became one of the more prominent members of the Birmingham School illustrators. Among her illustrations may be noted the following:

* Contributions for A Book of Nursery Rhymes (1895), along with other Birmingham School illustrators;
* One for The Quest (1895/6) (a magazine produced by members of the Birmingham School);
* One for The Yellow Book (1896) (vol 9, which was illustrated entirely by the Birmingham School);
* The illustrations for Turkish Fairy Tales (1896);
* Illustrations for Verse Fancies (1897), by her brother, Edward Lewis Levetus;
* Illustrations for a miniature edition of Blake's Songs of Innocence;
* A full-sized edition of Blake's Songs of Experience.

Celia Levetus also designed many book plates, and designed greeting cards, and contributed illustrations to various periodicals, including The English Illustrated Magazine. Walter Crane described her as one of the leading artists of the Birmingham School.

In 1902, she married Eric Pearson Nicholson, and ceased illustrative work, though she continued to draw and paint. She also wrote novels under her married name of C. A. Nicholson, and under the pseudonym Diana Forbes, as well writing a small book of verse, The Comfort-Lady (1911).

Celia Levetus had no offspring, but an artist niece, Margaret Till (nee Levetus), who kindly contributed most of the details on this page.