Samantha Rutter studied Australian and American literature at tertiary level and later completed a Masters in Creative Writing at RMIT. She has been a teacher of English and French, has 'worked for several years as a children’s literature specialist in a Melbourne bookstore, and has programmed youth and community engagement in state, national and public libraries'. She has also coordinated author visits to schools for a speakers' agency and has 'worked as a freelance editor and manuscript assessor'.
Rutter was 'awarded a research fellowship at the National Library of France, focusing on youth experiences in libraries', and she has been President of the Education Network of Australian Museum and Galleries Association and director of the ACT Writers' Centre.
Rutter founded Storytorch Press in Canberra. Her Storytorch books are published under the name Samantha Rutter; her books for other publishers are written under the pseudonym Samantha Ellen Tidy
Source: 'About Us', Storytorch Press
