About Lesley
Lesley has written poetry since her teens, often focussing on the harsh realities of life, love and loss. Writing was a way of expressing her grief following the death of her father who was killed in an accident at work. Coming from a very private family, they didn’t talk about it much and she dealt with the tragedy as best she could.
In her early years Lesley struggled to learn to read and write in school and had to have extra help. Eventually as a teacher, she realised that the strategies that she had devised to help her learn and remember things were sound, valuable learning approaches that she was able to incorporate into her teaching. Who would have known that those years of struggle would bear such valuable fruit? She believes that these early difficulties made her a more empathetic teacher, enabling her to relate to people who have struggled with their own learning, supporting adults to achieve their greatest potential.
Paying tribute to her secondary school English teacher, Russell Buley, she describes how he instilled in his students a love of language and the written word that has inspired her writing. Over her working life she has had the immense privilege and good fortune to meet and work with some truly inspirational, generous and encouraging people.
When she is not writing, Lesley loves walking, especially in the beautiful forests around where she lives. In the past year she has learned to ride, paddleboard and get to grips with photography, as well as playing table tennis regularly. A keen traveller, she has recently visited Iceland, Norway and Borneo, exploring new horizons to be incorporated into future writings. She also loves to visit her children and has recently become a very proud grandmother.