Harebushes Wood by Clare Finnimore

Clare has been writing since an unexpected stroke of luck led her to a Brewery Arts course, followed by an MA in creative writing at the University of Gloucestershire and in scriptwriting at Bath Spa University. This poem was inspired by one of her many walks in Cirencester with her guide dog, Sparkle. Clare is currently involved with Bristol’s PECO Theatre project ‘City of Threads’ about blind and visually impaired individuals’ experience of navigating that city with the aim of improving design and accessibility. A second work, ‘Started Early, Took my Guide Dog,’ has been commissioned for radio by Bristol’s Lost Robot company.  A collaborative work, ‘When Will it Be Me?’ gained success at Bath Fringe theatre, and Clare’s docudrama about the first woman to be killed in Raqqa ‘An Ordinary House’ was produced as a podcast for Ragged Foils Productions in London.

In a past life before acquiring a guide dog, Clare worked as an occupational therapist both for the NHS and local authorities.