Margaret Clark

answers the Usual Questions

Margaret Clark

Margaret Clark has worked as a primary teacher, pre-school director, university lecturer and alcohol and drug educator. She started entering writing competitions at the age of ten.

She has written books under the name M.D.Clark, Margaret D Clark and Lee Striker.

Many of her books touch upon the concerns that most young people have today, making and keeping friends, sibling rivalry, school environments and social issues which create confusion for young people.

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

Always, as I meet children and teenagers who make comments that inspire me to keep going with my writing, like 'I thought, you were dead.'

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

I receive lots of letters. I liked 'I am a big fan of yours and totally abscessed by your writing.' The mind boggles at the mental picture of a kid covered with red pus-filled abscesses. I think he meant obsessed!

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

Enid Blyton and Richmal Crompton (William series)

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

Steven Speilberg because he has the most amazing imagination.

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

A crazy terrorist.

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

Reading glasses, all sorts of books, my two cats Bert and Harvi, Bundaberg Ginger Beer, some bulbs that would flower in space, and photos of my children and grandchildren

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

Happiness and making other people desperate to read my books.

What is the special satisfaction of your work?

Once a boy broke into a library at night by climbing through an unlocked window and the only thing he stole was my book Stinky Shorts. I thought that was epic.

submitted by Margaret Clark

14 July 2014

For other answers to The Usual Questions Click here

Just the facts:
Born: Geelong
Resides: Geelong. Will probably drop dead one day in Geelong
Bibliography/Awards:
Lots of awards over the years but the most important to me was the British White Raven Award for my book Weird Warren.

Web site:
margaretclark.com

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