| Clare Rhoden started writing stories as a young child and never really stopped. The author of four novels and many short stories, Clare lives in Bunurong country in the SE suburbs of Melbourne Australia with her husband and a highly intelligent poodle-cross called Aeryn. Clare’s writing is inspired by society, culture and the march of history, but mostly by dreams.
Clare’s thought-provoking stories and accessible characters inspire hope and optimism through challenging times. Her novels range from the dystopian world of The Chronicles of the Pale trilogy, to her WWI novel The Stars in the Night, based on her PhD studies into the literature of the First World War. Clare’s short stories range from sweet to devastating, happy-ever-after to the end of everything, and usually include a canine character. Clare says that dystopian fiction and WWI are natural partners. |
The Chronicles of the Pale trilogy:
The Pale (The Chronicles of the Pale #1)
Broad Plain Darkening (The Chronicles of the Pale #2)
The Ruined Land (The Chronicles of the Pale #3)
The Stars in the Night
Clare completed her PhD* in Australian WWI literature at the University of Melbourne in 2011. During that time she wrote The Stars in the Night. ‘Stars’ is the result of her research and connection to the period through her family’s stories.
*Clare began her working life as a speech pathologist, and studied her way through a few different careers. She has a B.App.Sci (Speech Path), a B.A. (Hons), a Grad Dip (Professional Studies in Education); a PG Cert (Leadership in Education), an MA (Creative Writing), and a PhD (Creative Writing).
At times, she’s been a speechie, a study skills adviser, a university tutor, and the manager of the University of Melbourne’s Transition Program. Later, she was the head of one the University of Melbourne’s student services departments, a lecturer in English at the University of Melbourne, and an adviser with the University’s Learning Management Systems.
After all that, she became a Story Dog volunteer.
She is passionate about learning and reading. And writing. And dogs, of course. Plus cats. Aliens get a look in too.