Farine Clarke was born in London of South Asian heritage and her long career spanned medicine, publishing and business.

A love of writing meant she entered publishing, initially Pulse Magazine,  the leading title for GPs which printed 120 pages of medico-political news and features each week. The other journalists were consummate professionals but not medics while the target audience was, so Farine exchanged her medical knowledge for the opportunity, write, edit and learn magazine craft. Having started as a junior reporter writing news and features she progressed through the ranks holding Editor, Editorial Director, Publisher and finally Managing Director roles. In January 2001 Farine left medical publishing to become Managing Director at Archant Specialist Publishing with responsibility for a number of newsstand special interest magazines, ranging from Canal Boat and Pilot to Photography titles.

In her senior management roles Farine oversaw company development and growth both through organic evolution and through acquisition and merger.

During this period she also appeared on numerous TV and Radio programmes including hosting Second Opinion, a daily live medico-political TV show from the LWT studios, reporting weekly on Sky News, on Richard and Judy and on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme. 

She had two technical books published by Wiley-Blackwell BMJ Books.

More recently Farine held Non-Executive Director and Chair roles in varied businesses. Farine has always been an observer with a love of writing and while detracting from focusing on it full time all of her roles from medicine to Non-Executive  positions as well as just living, have informed  her plays.

Farine wrote her first two plays; London Zoo and The Story of Friends  in 2006, during a brief gap in her career when she was between jobs. Her subsequent work commitments meant she was unable to develop them further at that time.

Following a worsening illness which resulted in a kidney transplant, donated by her husband, Nick, in late 2019, Farine decided not to waste this second chance and to focus on her first love- writing. In 2021 she resigned from her roles and set up Unequal Productions as a vehicle to produce cutting-edge, contemporary theatre which entertains, informs and stimulates lively debate. .  

With some trepidation, Farine took a scene from her first play, London Zoo, to the Bread and Roses theatre ‘PlayWrites Circle’ for frank feedback from the artistic director, actors, writers and other theatre makers. She looked at her fellow group  members, all of whom seemed younger and fresher than she was and thought,

“My play is set at the turn of the century. Thankfully things will have changed but that means they won’t get this.”    

After the reading her heart sank at the first comment- “There’s good news…..and there’s bad.” 

As she reached for her coffee cup, the speaker went on …

“The good news is its really funny, and… the bad news is nothing’s changed. All of this applies to us now!”

It was at this  defining moment that Farine’s determination to produce London Zoo and her other plays solidified.

She finds it wonderful that London Zoo gained five-star reviews and won awards, reflecting the amazing support, raw talent and hard work of the teams involved, to whom she’s indebted.  The audience reaction from people of all ages, ethnicities and circumstances after each performance still heartens her the most.  

Farine loves working with the hugely talented theatre professionals who bring stories to life on stages in venues of every variety and looks forward to taking London Zoo, The Story of Friends and her other plays onto the stage for years to come. 

She writes at home in East Sussex, with her husband, son and numerous ‘other’ animals.

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