Mavis Thorpe Clark

Mavis Thorpe Clark AM (26 June 1909 – 8 July 1999) was an Australian novelist and writer for children who was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Clarke was educated at Methodist Ladies' College in Melbourne and published her first work in the school's magazine. She then published prolifically throughout her writing career, writing mainly for children and yound adults, but also writing biographies, short stories, newspaper serials and non-fiction.

In 1932, Clark married Harold Latham and in 1936 the first of their two daughters, Beverley Jeanne, was born. A second daughter, Ronda Faye, followed in 1944.

She was nominated for a number of awards and was awarded the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers for her work The Min-Min in 1967.

In 1996 she was made AM for service to the arts as the author of children's literature and as an active member of writers' organisations in Australia.

She died in 1999.