Clare Chambers in conversation

Join bestselling author Clare Chambers in conversation with Nicola Everett as they discuss her acclaimed novels, including the hugely successful Shy Creatures. Renowned for her beautifully observed characters and elegant storytelling, Clare creates richly atmospheric fiction that lingers long after the final page.

Discover the inspirations behind her work, her writing process and the themes that have made her one of Britain's most admired contemporary novelists.

CLARE CHAMBERS was born in Croydon in 1966 and studied English at Hertford College, Oxford. After graduating she lived for a year in New Zealand where she wrote her first novel, UNCERTAIN TERMS, at the age of 22.

On her return to the UK she started her first job in publishing at Andre Deutsch Ltd, while Diana Athill was still at the helm. It took her a year to work up the courage to show them UNCERTAIN TERMS and they published it in 1992 when she was 25. In due course she became an editor there. The unconventional working practices are described in THE EDITOR'S WIFE.

Her 2021 novel SMALL PLEASURES was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her latest novel, SHY CREATURES, was published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson in August 2024.

She has three grown-up children and lives in South London with her husband.

Photo credit Anna McCarthy