“I could not put the book down. Claire Terry is imaginative and poetic while creating realistic and empathetic characters that evoke a range of emotions… Wonderful, delightful, enchanting read!”
– K.L. Hill
The Art of Living: A Practical Guide to Being Alive
Kairós, 2008
Conceived and edited by Claire Elizabeth Terry, The Art of Living gathers reflections on the human experience from writers, thinkers, and public figures from around the world. Contributors include the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mario Vargas Llosa, Muhammad Yunus, Deepak Chopra, Desmond Tutu and others.
The book explores themes such as interdependence, responsibility, compassion, and the search for meaning in contemporary life.
The book was launched in Barcelona with an introduction by former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor Zaragoza.
All profits from the book were donated to Green Cross International, a Geneva-based environmental NGO founded by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, dedicated to addressing the interconnected challenges of security, poverty, and environmental degradation worldwide.
“A must-read. It's a short but powerful tale that delivers a satisfying and unforgettable experience.”
– Kathy Holzapfel
FALL: Berlin, 1989
2024
What would you do, if you were a young English travel writer and found out the Stasi – the feared East German Secret Police – were following you?
This is Alex’s story.
And Olga’s, the woman following her.
Inspired by Claire Elizabeth Terry’s experience living in Berlin shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, FALL explores the psychological atmosphere of a divided city on the brink of historic change.
FALL explores the lives of two women, Alex and Olga, during the tumultuous period of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The story alternates between their perspectives, revealing their intertwined experiences as they navigate the challenges posed by the Stasi, the East German secret police.
The novel combines personal narrative with political tension, following characters whose lives unfold against the background of surveillance, uncertainty, and the approaching collapse of the East German regime.
FALL, which has been well-received for its emotional depth and storytelling,is currently in development as a feature film.
“I could not put the book down. Claire Terry is imaginative and poetic while creating realistic and empathetic characters that evoke a range of emotions… Wonderful, delightful, enchanting read!”
– K.L. Hill
Nobody Knows Anything: A Fable. About a castle.
2023
Nobody knows anything... or do they?
When Alex Lane-Parker learns of her sisters' plan to disinherit her from Château Duchesne, the medieval castle which they've all inherited in the South of France, she immediately hatches one of her own: she'll run a screenwriting retreat at the castle (not to worry that she has absolutely no experience doing so), attract a whole load of rich film types and buy her sisters out!
Easy, right?
Enter an eclectic group of writers from all over the world, a filmmaker with a hidden agenda and a handful of Hollywood mentors with their own ideas…
As pandemonium quickly ensues, will Alex find a way to make a success of the retreat and outsmart her sisters?
And as Duchesne begins to weave its magic on all present, will she also open her heart to love, when it makes a surprise appearance at the castle?
Nobody Knows Anything is a satirical fable set in an isolated castle community, where an eccentric group of characters attempt to construct their own theories about how the world works.
Blending humour and philosophical reflection, the novel explores human certainty, illusion, and the often comical ways in which people attempt to explain reality.
“A witty and ironic account of lockdown seen through the tender eyes of a dog.” - Diari de Tarragona
“So many witty gems, but also philosophical brilliance of a patient and forgiving dog.” – Sheilia
Mr. Sparky’s Diary: One dog's take on the pandemic which changed the world
2020
I'm a dog. At least in this lifetime. And this is my diary.
I was going to wait to have my memoirs published until, well, I'd gathered a few more (I’m only five and a half), but the shocking state of affairs in the world - not to mention, my owner's mental health - has forced me, in the interests of public safety - and also, unconditional love (because, c'mon, guys, isn't that what we dogs are all about?) - to rush them out early. And so here they are, beginning with…
Written during the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain, Mr. Sparky’s Diary recounts the strange routines of pandemic life through the perspective of the author’s adopted dog.
Told with humour and gentle irony, the diary captures the small rituals of confinement—daily walks, empty streets, nightly applause for healthcare workers—while reflecting on the human need for connection and companionship.
“I loved the message of this book, which reminds us how much we gain when we open to the healing wisdom of nature.” – Deb Engle
“Lovely, beautiful, intelligent writing.” – Martin Olson
The University of Trees: Tuning into the wisdom which is all around us
2015
Are trees sentient beings? Is it true that they hold “messages on the wind” for we mere mortals? Can communing with them really take us to a different level of consciousness – a “state of ecstasy”? And what the hell does that even mean, anyway?
Do trees literally talk to us ... or has the author simply lost her marbles?
Join self-confessed “townie”, Claire Elizabeth Terry, with her crutch and her shopping trolley, on the journey of a lifetime.
Amongst the trees.
After reading this little gem of a book, you'll never look at a tree in the same way again.
Part fable and part meditation on nature, The University of Trees imagines a world in which the quiet intelligence of the natural world becomes a teacher for human life.
The story explores the idea that wisdom may be found not only in human institutions, but in the patient observation of the living world.
“I had no idea what to expect and unexpectedly found myself drawn into the images, scents and sounds of six women. Through music, aroma and paintings, the author seamlessly threads the lives of six friends into a floral tapestry that delights and sensuously teases until the last page. Lovely, delicate and tender.” – K. L. Hill
I Draw Roses: A Fable
2013
An artist sits in his London studio, drawing roses.
Unbeknown to each other, six women from all over the world have each commissioned him to draw a rose for a friend in crisis:
There's Betsy, from the American heartlands, whose stubborn refusal to face reality means that she's about to lose her beloved farm;
Amala, a beautiful Indian bank executive whose emotional bankruptcy has taken her to the brink of despair;
Miriam, a widow in South Africa, whose inability to stand up for herself means that she’s unable to recognize her own sexuality…
Lola, an Argentinian in self-imposed romantic exile in Spain who’s about to miss the opportunity of being reunited with her one great love;
Gisella, a young Italian housewife, who prefers the elaborate life of her daydreams to returning to the job which she dreads;
...and Kate, in a state of deep depression after being forced to return to Australia when a love affair in England went sour...
As the drawing of their rose evolves, however, so do the women’s lives begin to be transformed, because that’s the Rose Artist's talent: he’s able to tune in to the essence of a woman, her essential ‘her’.
And deliver her, a portrait of herself, through a rose.
I Draw Roses follows four women from different countries whose lives become unexpectedly intertwined when a rose is mysteriously drawn for each of them. What begins as a curious gesture gradually reveals hidden connections between their lives, leading them toward unexpected personal transformations.