Clare Beams is an acclaimed author whose debut novel, The Illness Lesson, has captivated a wide audience. Released in February 2020 by Doubleday, it was chosen as a New York Times Editors' Choice and was celebrated as a best book of 2020 by Esquire and Bustle. Additionally, the novel featured in the best books of February lists curated by Time, O Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly. Furthermore, it has been longlisted for the prestigious Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.

Beams' repertoire of literary works also includes her story collection, We Show What We Have Learned, which debuted in 2016 through Lookout Books. This collection earned her the Bard Fiction Prize, made her a contender for the Story Prize, and saw her work recognized as a Kirkus Best Debut of 2016. The collection also secured her as a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award, and the Shirley Jackson Award.

Fans of her work can anticipate the release of her new novel, The Garden, which is set for publication by Doubleday in 2023. Beams' fiction is not only housed within the bindings of books but also graces the pages of One Story magazine, among other literary venues.