Dr Rebekah Clarkson
Senior Learning Adviser, Language and Learning
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
College of Science
Dr Rebekah Clarkson is a Learning Adviser in the Student Engagement Unit, based on the city west campus of UniSA. The Learning Adviser Team provides academic learning support for UniSA students through online Study Help resources, academic skills workshops, in-course workshops, individual appointments, and student peer support training. Rebekah is a UniSA Ally.
Rebekah has a BA in Aboriginal Studies from UniSA, which led to her early career in policy and government administration, including the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Aboriginal Reconciliation Council. She has an MA and PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide, where she previously worked as Coordinator of Writing Support programs.
Rebekah has worked as a creative and professional writing consultant in schools, libraries and community venues. As an academic, she has designed and delivered English and Creative writing courses in Universities in Australia and the U.S and worked as a tutor in the Wirltu Yarlu Academic Mentoring program at the University of Adelaide. She is an award-winning writer, experienced public speaker, workshop facilitator and mentor. Rebekah is passionate about building vibrant and collaborative communities of learners and supporting individuals to find their own voice. She is adept at contextualising and demystifying tertiary education for all students and is committed to supporting learners from diverse cultural and language backgrounds.
Rebekah’s fiction writing has been recognised in major awards in Australia and overseas, including the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize, Fish Publishing Short Story Prize and Glimmer Train’s Fiction Open. Her short stories have appeared in publications including Griffith Review, Best Australian Stories and Something Special, Something Rare: Outstanding Short Stories by Australian Women (Black Inc.).
Her doctoral research is a work of fiction in the form of a short story cycle, and an exegesis. The exegesis explores the history, definitions and theories of the cycle genre, while outlining and interrogating the journey of the short story writer in utilising opportunities peculiar to the extended form. These opportunities centre on place, which is an explicit connection in the story cycle, but implicit connections are also explored, in the spaces between the stories, to examine contemporary themes including isolation, middle class aspiration, land politics, gender and family. The short story cycle is published as a novel-in-stories by Affirm Press (Barking Dogs, 2017).
- ‘It is hard to describe the force of these seemingly minor connections except to say they replicate the ramifications of our real lives and in so doing turn a selection of short stories into a profoundly satisfying novel.’ The Adelaide Advertiser;
- ‘Clarkson’s work hums with talent, and the promise of this book, unlike that of the new housing estates, was not merely kept, but surpassed.’ The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 - 2003 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Master of Arts (Creative Writing) |
| 1989 - 1991 | University of South Australia | Australia | Bachelor of Arts (Aboriginal Studies) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Clarkson, R., Mayröcker, F., Canton, L., Ćerne, I., Cun, C., Conlon, E., . . . Travalini, B. (2014). 'Unbraiding the Short Story'. Poster session presented at the meeting of Unbraiding the Short Story. Charleston SC: CreateSpace. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Authors: Clarkson R. Title: Barking dogs. Extent: 232 p.. |
| 2016 | Authors: Clarkson R. Title: Learning to Swim. Extent: 2186 words. |
| 2015 | Authors: Clarkson R, Grenville K, Sayer M, Russon P, Parret F, Bennet Daylight T, Hartnett S, Falconer D. Title: Something Special, Something Rare. Extent: PB 240pp 210x135mm. |
| 2014 | Authors: Clarkson R. Title: A Simple Matter of Aesthetics. Description: Anthology of twenty-seven short stories by writers from the Creative Writing program at the University of Adelaide. Extent: 12 pages. |
| 2014 | Authors: Clarkson R, Avasilichioaei O, Knittle D, LaRocque K, Mead R, McDonell S, Novitas I, Zatzman L. Title: A Simple Matter of Aesthetics. Extent: 91pp PB 220mmx280mm. |
| 2014 | Authors: Clarkson R. Title: The Best Australian Stories 2014. Description: Short Story. Extent: 15 pages. |
| 2014 | Authors: Clarkson R. Title: May Twentieth. Description: short story. Extent: 426pp PB 178mmx254mmx24mm. |
| 2014 | Authors: Clarkson R, Kaip G, Strobel B, Nekolny C, Rabinovici D, Raynes C, Kennedy C, Mayröcker F. Title: 'Salz und Honig' in 'Austr[al]ia'. Description: Austr(al)ia is a German-language limited edition anthology of short prose and short stories by five Australian writers and seven Austrian writers. Each contribution is accompanied by the respective author’s “take” on the short story form. The stories by the Australian writers were translated by the Austrian, Ka Ruhdorfer.. Extent: 113pp PB. |
| 2013 | Authors: Clarkson R, Mahood K, Michau-Crawford M. Title: 'The Five Truths of Manhood' in Australian Book Review. Extent: 68pp. |
| 2012 | Authors: Clarkson R, Adisa O, D'Arcy M, Rochette S, Wenren Y, Clark A, Montwieler K, Baldwin D. Title: Here We Lie. Description: Short Story is a refereed scholarly journal published every Spring and Fall. It is a joint publication of the University of Texas at Brownsville, SUNY –Oneonta and Claflin University, SC. Subscriptions are $10.00 annually; single issues are $4.00 each. The editors solicit manuscripts on every aspect of the short story, particularly those with a theoretical basis, as well as previously unpublished short stories, short stories in translation, book reviews, and interviews.. Extent: 89pp PB. |
| 2012 | Authors: Clarkson RJ, Rockel A, Janke T, Downing J, Shirm G. Title: 'Raising Boys' in Southerly. Extent: 239pp PB. |
Courses I teach
- SCSEU 90001 Introductory Academic Program SC (2025)
- SCSEU 90001 Introductory Academic Program SC (2024)
Connect With Me
