Clarke, Marcus (1846-1881), was an author and journalist who wrote the Australian classic For the Term of His Natural Life. Originally called His Natural Life, the novel is a vigorous social protest about the sufferings of convicts in settlements in early Tasmania. Clarke originally wrote the story in serial form as a commissioned series of articles about convict life for the Australian Journal. It was published as a book in 1874. The longer title was not added until an edition published in 1929.
Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke was born on April 24, 1846, in London, the son of an Irish lawyer. He moved to Australia when he was 17 years old to join his uncle, a county court judge. He became a successful journalist, writing for and editing several magazines. He edited the Colonial Monthly from 1868 to 1870. Clarke’s first novel, Long Odds, was published in the periodical. Clarke also wrote short stories and plays. He died on Aug. 2, 1881.
