It feels like a real endorsement of her writing, and she loves going on residencies because she gets a lot done, she says.
"I'm really productive, and you live and breathe it."
She says applicants can be fiction writers or poets, playwrights, scriptwriters or creative non-fiction writers, and that they have a lot of applications from emerging writers.
"Dice" was accepted this year for publication by Allen & Unwin in New Zealand and Australia, which will be in early 2023.
It tells the story of a sexual violence trial from the perspective of the jurors.
She says it's been a long process of five years of writing, thinking about this heavy topic, and working on a jury research project.
"At times it's been hard because I have been thinking about those kinds of offences for a long time, but it's also been interesting how much my thinking has developed."
Claire wrote the novel as part of her doctorate in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University.
She was awarded her PhD earlier this year, and her thesis was included on the University's Dean's List for research of "exceptional quality".
She has enjoyed getting into heads of different people for her novel - there are 12 characters because there are 12 on a jury, and each juror gets their own chapter.
The deliberation chapter moves between the different characters.
Claire was able to be involved in the research project of a Trans-Tasman Jury Study.
She says, "It is very rare in most countries which use a jury system to have the opportunity to interview jurors, so that gave me a unique insight into the difficulties juries face in making decisions about sexual offending, and also how seriously most jurors take their role".
"I think that experience of interviewing jurors and analysing how they made decisions has really informed the novel, although, of course, it is completely fictional."
She hopes that "Dice"will spark some debate, and help people to explore the difficulties for jurors.
Claire has wanted to write a novel since she was 7 years old - so it has been a long process for her.
"I have had short stories published but this is what I wanted to do the most.
"To be published in both New Zealand and Australia is really exciting."
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