Lesley is a Welsh working class writer and teacher who enjoys live performance. The poet Glyn Maxwell says of her work: ‘I think hers the most distinct and under-appreciated voice in the poetry of Wales.’ The food writer Jay Rayner describes her prose as ‘Really excellent…clear-sighted and light on the violins.’ In 2025 she was shortlisted for the Borzello Prize and won a Big Welsh Rhyme Time commission from Book Trust Cymru. Her debut chapbook, A Walk With Scissors, is published by Infinity Books UK. She has work in New Welsh Review, These Pages Sing, Spelt, BOLD, The Broken Spine, TBSAC05, Cardiff Writers’ Circle 75th Anniversary Anthology, The Best of Cafe Lit, Love The Words Dylan Thomas Anthology, Full House Lit Mag amongst others. She has work for children in Chasing Clouds Anthology, The Parakeet and The Dirigible Balloon. She was the winner of Cardiff Writers’ Circle Poetry, Flash Fiction and Reviews competitions, was shortlisted for LoveReadingUK’s very short story competition and Love The Words Dylan Thomas Day Poetry award. She has two best of the net nominations. Recent anthology pieces include: Afonydd (Anachne Press) and Hearth Food (Honno).
