Claire Jewitt was born in Old Windsor, England, and moved to New Zealand at the age of five. She has spent most of her life in New Zealand, with periods living on Australia’s Gold Coast and in Newcastle. Now settled in the coastal village of Diamond Harbour on Banks Peninsula, she draws inspiration from both place and lived experience.

Claire’s working life has included a career in international logistics, where she developed a reputation for creating bespoke spreadsheets and systems tailored to complex operational needs. Alongside this, she has written articles and essays on resilience, community, and life with chronic illness, some of which have been published in New Zealand outlets.

In 2016, Claire was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — a life-changing event that has profoundly shaped her writing. In 2025, her short story Still Here won first prize in the Graeme Lay Short Story Competition. She writes fiction and non-fiction, often exploring themes of endurance, identity, and the quiet moments that define a life.