Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke FRSA (24 April 1846 – 2 August 1881) was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian, and playwright.

[1] Clarke was born with his left arm at least two inches shorter than the right, which prevented him from joining the army, though he became an accomplished diver in his days at Cholmeley Grammar, Highgate School.

[1] On one hand he was considered charming and witty, but on the other spoilt, conceited and aimless which could be partially attributed to his Bohemian upbringing by this father, and the novels which he spent much of his time reading.

[1]In 1862, father William was sent to Northumberland House suffering a mental, physical, and financial breakdown and died there a year later, leaving Clarke an orphan and without the means to live as a dilettante, which had been his expectation.

After a year, he moved to the country and proceeded to learn farming at a station on the Wimmera River, near Glenorchy, Victoria where his uncle had an interest.

He was noted for his vivid descriptions of Melbourne's street scenes and city types, including the "low life" of opium dens, brothels and gambling houses.

The story follows the fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a theft that he did not commit, when rendering assistance to the victim of a mugging.

[4]: 24  For the Term of his Natural Life is considered a novel in the grand tradition, that places Clarke with Charles Reade, Victor Hugo and Fyodor Dostoevsky among the great nineteenth-century visionaries who found in the problems of crime and punishment a new insight, especially relevant in the convict-founded Australian colonies, into the foundations of human worth.

[8] As well as holding books, pictures, manuscripts, music scores and journals, two unusual collection items (classified as "Realia") are his death mask and his Cabbage Tree hat.

In 1877, he served a term as the chairman of the library committee of the Melbourne Athenaeum (founded 1839) the oldest cultural institution in the city.

[10] Anxiety, overwork, disappointment and health problems are said to have hastened his death (officially of erysipelas)[1] in Melbourne on 2 August 1881 at the age of 35.

[6] Shortly after Clarke's death, the theatre community rallied to support his family, organizing a charity costumed Australian rules football match which was held at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It contained a "a selection of his most popular journalism with a biographical introduction" with a dedication to the 5th Earl of Rosebery, Archibald Philip Primrose (Prime Minister of England from March 1894 till June 1895) who was a great support of His Natural Life.

[8] In a five-page letter to his wife Marian Clarke, dated 16 January 1884, Lord Rosebery states that he had always admired the book, had given copies to his friends and compared it favourably with Oliver Twist and Victor Hugo's works.