Clare grew up exploring Edinburgh’s wild edges, studied botany at Aberdeen, and became a biology teacher before her love of drama led her to retrain as an actor at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She went on to play Shakespearean heroines—and nearly crashed a Lamborghini in Taggart. Clare’s writing reflects the organised chaos of classrooms and the lore of the landscape she loves. Her debut verse novel, longlisted for Guppy 2024, draws on her experience growing up with an alcoholic parent.
