Georgia Clark
Georgia Clark | |
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Born | 1980 |
Nationality | Australian |
Occupation | Autor |
Website | georgiaclark |
Georgia Clark (born 1980) is an Australian-born writer based in New York.[1][2] She is the founder of Generation Women, a monthly event series that takes place in New York, Montreal, and Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Clark was born in 1980 in Sydney, Australia.[1][3] She was educated at Gosford High School.[4]
Career
[edit]Early in her life, she was involved in Sydney's underground art scene, participating in filmmaking, screenwriting, and editing a music magazine.[5] During this period, she formed a band that began as a fictional project but later became a real musical group.[5] She also contributed to various publications, created zines, and published her first young adult novel, She's With The Band.[5]
In 2009, at the age of 29, Clark moved to New York City and became involved in the improvisational comedy scene, particularly with the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), where she was on a house team.[3][5] She transitioned from filmmaking to novel writing, finding the latter more creatively inspiring.[5]
In 2017, Clark founded Generation Women, a monthly storytelling event that takes place in New York, Montreal, Sydney, and Melbourne.[3][6][1] The series features women and non-binary performers, each from a different age group who perform original, true stories related to a shared theme.[1]The idea for Generation Women arose from a conversation between Clark and her mother, where her mother shared that she’d begun to feel "invisible" as she aged.[1] The discussion prompted Clark to create a platform for women and non-binary folk to share their experiences across generations.[1]
Clark writes the monthly author newsletter, Heartbeat.[7] She teaches the Romance Workshop and mentors Writers Group and Storyteller Groups. She hosts a Writers Retreat in Catskill, New York several times a year.[8]
Writing
[edit]Clark's second novel, Parched, was published in 2014.[9] It was about a dystopian future Earth affected by extreme water scarcity. The story follows 16-year-old Tess as she joins a subversive group to uncover the secrets of the governing Trust and confront the ethical dilemmas of a world with diminishing resources. Kirkus' review called it "bold futurist adventure with unusual romance, riveting action and ominous ecological red flags."[10]
In 2016, Clark wrote The Regulars. The novel explored the consequences of a group of friends using a potion called "Pretty" to become supermodel attractive.[11] The story delved into themes of self-esteem, female sexuality, and the allure of physical beauty.[11] It made Booklist's Top 10 Women's Fiction books of that year, who called it "raunchy, very funny... distinctly hip and modern."[12][13] As well as the U.S., it was published in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Italy, Germany, Portugal and Brazil. It was reviewed by Kirkus as well.[11]
In 2018, Clark authored The Bucket List. The novel was reviewed by Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal.[14] It followed 25-year-old Lacey Whitman, who discovered she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, putting her at high risk for breast cancer.[14] Lacey created a "Boob Bucket List" to celebrate her body before considering a preventative mastectomy, exploring themes of women empowerment, sexuality, and self-care.[14] The novel was positively reviewed by Kirkus, who called it, "a compelling, thoughtful take on a very real women’s health issue; both confidently sexy and lighthearted at the same time",[14] Library Journal, Book Reporter, and Bustle.[15][16][17]
In her 2021 novel It Had to Be You, Clark explored the life of Liv Goldenhorn, who discovered her late husband had left his share of their wedding-planning company to his younger mistress, Savannah.[18] The ensemble romantic comedy followed Liv, Savannah, and various characters in their orbit as they navigated love, relationships, and personal growth.[18] It received a starred review from Booklist, who said it "reads like a love letter to New York-set rom coms. Full of immersive details, rich characters, and great banter, Clark’s latest perfectly balances sweetness with an edge of realism that will draw readers in."[19] The novel was also reviewed by Library Journal,[20] Publishers Weekly[21] and Kirkus Reviews.[18]
In 2022, Clark wrote Island Time, an ensemble romantic comedy that centers a queer romance set on a secluded Australian island, where a stranded extended family navigated new romances and personal challenges in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.[22][23] Publishers Weekly called Island Time "[a] fun, steamy rom-com about finding love in unexpected places…. A feel-good sapphic love story ideal for armchair travelers".[23]
Bibliography
[edit]- She's With The Band (2008)
- Parched (2014)[10]
- The Regulars (2016)[11]
- The Bucket List (2018)[24]
- It Had to Be You (2021)[21]
- Island Time (2022)[25]
- Most Wonderful (2024)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Ellin, Abby (November 10, 2018). "New Women's Groups Focus on Generational Mix". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "How One Virtual Event Is Bringing The Stories Of Different Generations Of Australian Women Together". marie claire. September 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Georgia Clark, founder and host of Generation Women". May 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "My 20 Years As A Girl Who Likes Girls".
- ^ a b c d e "About Georgia Clark".
- ^ Culgan, Rossilynne Skena (October 16, 2023). "Generation Women | Things to do in New York". Time Out New York.
- ^ "Heartbeat".
- ^ "Writers Retreat".
- ^ Spisak, April (May 28, 2014). "Parched by Georgia Clark (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 67 (10): 506. doi:10.1353/bcc.2014.0441 – via Project MUSE.
- ^ a b "PARCHED" – via Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ a b c d "THE REGULARS" – via Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Regulars, by Georgia Clark | Booklist Online" – via Booklist.
- ^ "Top 10 Women's Fiction: 2017".
- ^ a b c d "THE BUCKET LIST" – via Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ Georgia, Clark. "The Bucket List". Library Journal.
- ^ "The Bucket List".
- ^ "9 Books About Transformation To Inspire Your Own Fall Metamorphosis".
- ^ a b c "IT HAD TO BE YOU" – via Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "It Had to Be You, by By Georgia Clark" – via Booklist.
- ^ Georgia, Clark. "It Had To Be You". Library Journal.
- ^ a b "It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
- ^ "Author Georgia Clark Talks Ensemble Casts, Queer Romance, And Her New Book 'Island Time'". Scary Mommy. August 2, 2022.
- ^ a b "Island Time by Georgia Clark". Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
- ^ "The Bucket List by Georgia Clark". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
- ^ "Island Time by Georgia Clark". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-05-28.