Susan Shepherd (b.1961) spent her early years on Teesside. She studied English at the University of Hull and began her career as a journalist on the Northumberland Gazette. Her 15 years with BBC Radio Newcastle included a stint at the World Service. She ran a bookshop in Eyemouth, on Scotland’s east coast, and currently lives in the Scottish Borders where she proofreads for the London-based infographics company, Graphic News Ltd. She has three independent children and two dependent dogs. ‘Wood End’ is her first poetry collection.