Ella Frances Bugby was born in Calderdale, in the North of England. The thrilling Yorkshire moorlands of her childhood lingered strongly in her imagination; it was this merging of nature with spirit that compelled her to start writing poetry in worn notebooks at a young age. In 2021, she graduated from Durham University with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Geography.

During her first year, she enrolled on a course named ‘Early Greek Philosophy’ within the Classics department, which ignited her interest in ancient metaphysical and ontological thought. After avid engagement with post-structuralist philosophy in her final year, she began a Masters in Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, which she completed in 2022. Her dissertation focused on the ‘natural sublime’ from a Kantian perspective, exploring the links between freedom, emotion and reason. During her time in Edinburgh, she helped to set up a poetry group, which, through the mediums of spoken and written word, sought to open up a space for the sharing of rich, creative interpretations of reality.

She is drawn to art that is based on impressions of the human experience. A particular area of intrigue is observing how classical myths are embodied in Renaissance art, and the interweaving between immortal symbols of the divine and depictions of the mortal human on earth.

Her interest in health and wellness was borne out in her undergraduate dissertation based on 'therapeutic landscapes', where she considered the relationship between yoga, place and well-being. Through challenging notions of the body as a stable, confined entity, she argued that the practice of yoga involves a dynamic process of ‘becoming well’ through embodied performance and lively interactions with people and landscapes. In addition to her love for yoga, she resonates with the non-dual understanding of pure awareness and enjoys taking part in digital conferences that celebrate this branch of spirituality.

Classical music and cinematography are energising and meaningful to her. In 2018, she joined a local camera club, where she proposed initiatives to preserve vintage film negatives that captured the unfolding of life and culture within the surrounding area. She revisited her curiosity for film this year by writing papers on Ingmar Bergman’s existentialist cinema.