-Australian Author-
MAT CLARKE
About Mat Clarke
Mat is a thriller and contemporary writer from Melbourne, currently living in Ferntree Gully. He has written five novels and an array of short stories that can be found via this page. He runs a writers group and has created a webpage dedicated to beginner/intermediate writers wanting to be involved in short story competitions and to be published in the biyearly anthology.
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From an early age, Mat has used a keyboard as the instrument of his expression. His range is broad, from the chilling, to the obscure, to fan fiction, to thought provoking, to children’s and YA, and a not too small amount of speculative fiction. Yet, his main area of interest has always been the thriller genre.
Often traveling, he will be found tapping away in a cafe, bar, on the train, in a plane, in Melbourne, Sydney, Sunshine Coast, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and the list goes on. This is where he gets his ideas, from you, the streets, and what goes on around the world.
Non-fiction work has mostly been inspired by health issues affecting friends and family, as well as the rest of the world, and to make solutions readily acceptable to the public, especially when the ailment is embarrassing.
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Letter writing has also been a contributor to Mat’s skills, whether it be to government bodies or a company, either to request information on a current associated issue or to offer a solution to an ongoing problem with (if a local government) traffic, public transport, spending, banks, etc. And (if a company) an idea for the product so that it could become better accepted by consumers, or in some cases, healthier for consumers.
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With a few novels completed, a couple of health booklets, a writing games book, as well as children’s stories, young adult, and a multitude of short stories, you can expect to see a lot more work by Mat Clarke in the short term as well as the long term.
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Mat has produced multiple and varied events from 2010 to the present, although most recently has been concentrating on writing events and book launches. Here is a statement from a colleague from the 2018 Symposium:
Having worked with Mat Clarke since 2016 in varying capacities from events to live productions and been a participant in many of his events either as a guest speaker or as a regular audience attendee. I can say nothing can fault this creative business-minded individual. He can do it all from the organising of events both large and small all the way through to a well-documented production schedule that helps to keep happenings on schedule and to budget every time. His clear communication style and ability to adapt and work with any prospective audience makes him a sure-fire choice for anyone looking for more than the run of the mill producer!
Cory Corbett
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And a review from a participant at the 2019 Writer Retreat:
I really enjoyed it!
The environment was wonderful. The writing opportunity fantastic. Sharing writing was insightful. I loved the opportunity to be away from my normal desk so I could focus on my writing in such a beautiful and nourishing environment, not to mention the welcoming, encouraging and supportive company. I really enjoyed the writing games and listening to others’ writing. It was very inspiring to hear the different styles and approaches. The only not so wonderful thing was the distance I had to travel, but it just added to the pleasure of the weekend.
Janelle Sheen
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In Mat’s spare time, he is an actor, builds hand-made furniture, and is an entrepreneur within multiple fields. He enjoys bush walking, hiking, camping, but also loves big cities; Melbourne and New York being his favourite. He is a movie buff, and also loves good pizza.