Cherry Coombe

Cherry Coombe writes: ‘People ask, “is your writing auto/ biographical?” Much of my work is retrospective, formed in pursuit of redemption and I only write what I know. But truth, to me, is multiple and conditional, my life story different every time I tell it, as time softens or broadens my perspective. I am an absurdist, at heart.

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Dropping out was all the rage in 1976, communes and gurus two a penny. I became a fully paid-up member of counter culture, and quite happily so until life in a cult in Pune, India, went belly up in 1981 and I decided to drop back in.

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I did all forms of washing-up and menial jobs, but at 45 I found myself a twice married, divorced, widowed and penniless single parent. I’d hit rock bottom but my children, then 17 and 14, somehow thriving despite all forms of chaos, inspired me to get a grip.

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I returned to the salve of education in 2001, became a lecturer in Further Education in 2004, and a lecturer in English and Creative Writing in Higher Education in 2012. I remain humbled by and grateful to all my students for what they taught me, and for trusting me. We were all perpetually exhausted and slightly bemused, but we kept going and had a lot of fun. I also thank my employers, particularly Celia, Gerry, John and Sir Anthony, for giving me enough rope. I have never been easy.

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Surviving Sepsis, quite miraculously, in 2022, I retired from University life, which I adored, to contemplate and write. I still live in middle England; my children and grandchildren are in South East Asia. Life is full of love, joyful reunions, devastating farewells and WhatsApp video calls.

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On request, I still work with individuals as a mentor/personal tutor and run kitchen-table ‘word-shops’ for small groups in my own home.

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