Ruth Allinson is from Rochdale. She taught French and German at secondary schools for many years. She was in Commonword’s women-only Home Truths writing group as well as being in the Commonword Writers Workshop. In 1983 Commonword published a pamphlet of her poetry High Living as part of its Tightfisted Poets series. Her first collection of poems, To Men in General and One in Particular was also distributed by Commonword.