Bernard Hare was born in 1958 into a Leeds mining family. He was educated at grammar school and after gaining a BA in Applied Social Sciences at Hatfield Polytechnic, he became a social worker. Dillusioned with the system following the miners' strike of 1984, he dropped out, working occasionally as a removal man. He now writes, plays chess, and works in community arts - he has edited Reflections, a collection of pieces by the creative writing class at East Leeds Family Learning Centre, and Flatlands, an anthology of writing and a CD of music by local people, organised by the Flatlands Community Arts Group which Bernard co-founded.
