C.L. Washbrook

C.L. Washbrook,; 27 May 1975 - is an English poet, writer and craftswoman who describes herself as as a "poet, mother and "The other normal"".
Starting her career as a journalist, she moved into poetry and won a few awards including a Bloodline International Poetry Award (Bronze) in 2004.
Early life and education
Washbrook was born "Clare Louise Washbrook" in 1975. She grew up in Aston, near Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Washbrook's early schooling was at St. Francis College, preparatory school. After this, she attended the Nobel School, Stevenage a Comprehensive state school in Hertfordshire. Here she met John McLusky (James Bond cartoonist) who became her mentor. In her penultimate year, she started the school newspaper. Reading the works of John Betjeman while at school, spurred an interest in poetry. She later attended Bolton University to study English Literature, Theatre Studies and Creative Writing under Jon Glover, John Lyons and James Stock.
Career
Washbrook is credited in the Oxford English Dictionary as the first writer to use the word 'minger'. This was featured in the BBC programme Balderdash and Piffle with an interview with C.L.Washbrook.
She is currently working on a series of five mythologically based novels The Myrddin Precinct, three poetry collections, one short story collection, her website and a collection of designer knitwear for Sally Montague Beauty Emporium and Etsy.
Talk Like Shakespeare Day
She also runs a Facebook project with Annie Martirosyan , a protegee of David Crystal. They plan to add Shakespearean as a Facebook language with an aim to make it understood that Shakespeare is not difficult. They have written an article on the quest for Paul Edmondson and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Television
C.L.Washbrook was interviewed by Victoria Coren for British Broadcasting Company etymology programme Balderdash and Piffle in 2006 about the slang word "minger" to antedate it for the Oxford English Dictionary.
Radio
C.L.Washbrook and her daughter, Madeleine performed the Hallelujah Chorus at the London Colosseum with the English National Opera and the BBC Singers for the Sing Hallelujah project. The choir performance and an interview with C.L.Washbrook and her daughter were broadcast on BBC Radio 3 the same day.
Charity
In 2011, C.L.Washbrook and American potter friend Sarah Rene ran a charity Arts and Crafts auction for Japan in aid of Global Giving on eBay. The auction raised £2,289. This was aided by Stephen Fry tweeting on Twitter about it.
Bibliography
*The Resurrected Soul: An Anthology of Poetry (ed. by Amanda Read) ISBN 1-84591-005-2
Poetry Collections
*Psychic Vampires
*Bollocking Blighty

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