Madeleine Cleary

About The Author

Madeleine Cleary is a writer and podcaster. Her debut novel, The Butterfly Women, inspired by her discovery of a connection to the thieves and prostitutes of colonial Melbourne, was shortlisted for the 2025 Dymocks Book of the Year. Her writing has been shortlisted for The Australian Fiction Prize and featured in The Australian Weekend Magazine. Madeleine is the co-host of The Book Deal Podcast, where she interviews other writers about their pathways to publication.

Madeleine is a former bookseller and served as an Australian diplomat in China, and now lives at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges with her husband.

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Books by Madeleine Cleary

The Butterfly Women

By Madeleine Cleary

Shortlisted Dymocks Book of the Year 2025

Shortlisted Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2026

Shortlisted Ned Kelly Award for Debut Fiction 2026

It's 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metr...

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