A lapsed creative non-fiction writer, Susanne Fletcher lives in Ottawa's south end across a field from Sawmill Creek and its path, a place of walking pleasure and inspiration. She retired from office work two weeks after the start of the pandemic and launched her poetry writing life later that year when Bywords published Hope Escapes - her first published poem. Prior to the pandemic, Susanne wrote mostly fiction and non-fiction but found that writing poetry about small daily experiences during the long pause kept her grounded. Some of her fiction, personal essays, and poetry have appeared in The New Quarterly, Existere, The Globe and Mail, flo., and, of course Bywords. She enjoys eating her husband's lemon scones, cycling to Beachconer's for "plan B scones", reading Ottawa poets, and daydreaming in her garden with a cup of tea - and a scone. Over the years, Susanne's writing has been supported by members of Rick Taylor's writers' workshop, the Asses in Chairs writing group - Janna Klostermann, Sharon Hamilton, Catherine Racine - her good friend and brilliant essayist, Melissa Ballard, and her husband, Chris Carton. She is honoured to receive the John Newlove Poetry Award.