Rachael Craw

Rachael Craw was born and raised in Christchurch.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bookcouncil.org.nz/writer/craw-rachael/|title=Craw, Rachael|last=|first=|date=July 2018|website=New Zealand Book Council Te Haunihera Pukapuka o Aotearoa|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} She completed a degree in Classical Studies and Drama at the University of Canterbury{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Authors_and_Illustrators/Rachael-Craw|title=Authors & Illustrators: Rachael Craw|last=|first=|date=6 September 2018|website=Walker Books Australia & New Zealand|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1806/S00016/rachael-craw-highly-anticipated-new-ya-book.htm|title=Rachael Craw - highly anticipated new YA book|last=|first=|date=1 June 2018|website=Scoop|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} and then trained as a secondary school teacher and taught English for several years at Christchurch Girls' High School and Rangi Ruru Girls' College.{{Cite web|url=http://www.topwriters.co.nz/rachael-craw.html|title=Member Profile: Rachael Craw|last=|first=|date=|website=The Top of the South Branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}

After the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and 2011 Christchurch earthquake, Rachael and her husband and three daughters stayed in their home in a red-zoned street in Christchurch for two years before moving to Nelson.{{Cite web|url=http://www.suecopsey.com/www.suecopsey.com/Blog/Entries/2015/4/18_Interview_with_YA_author_Rachael_Spark.html|title=Interview with Rachael Craw, author of Spark|last=|first=|date=18 April 2015|website=Sue Copsey website|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}

Rachael describes herself as being fascinated with words from an early age, and remembers being thrilled to receive her first lockable diary. She has kept journals for many years and was naturally drawn to poetry and scriptwriting. Her interest in and love for the spoken word have developed into a passion for creating good dialogue, an aspect of writing that she enjoys the most.{{Cite web|url=https://wordmothers.com/2016/12/15/interview-with-author-rachael-craw/|title=Meet Rachael Craw|last=|first=|date=15 December 2016|website=WordMothers|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}

Before beginning the Spark trilogy, she acted, directed and wrote for amateur theatre productions and small independent film ventures.

The idea for her first book, Spark, came from a dream. It took five years to write, under the mentorship of Barbara Else and Chris Else (who later became her agents as TFS Literary Agency]).{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzbooklovers.co.nz/blog/interview-rachael-craw-author-of-spark|title=Interview: Rachael Craw, author of Spark|last=|first=|date=|website=NZ Booklovers|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} Rachael then had a one-year deadline to write each of the next two books in the trilogy.

Rachael has appeared at a number of literary festivals, including the Perth International Arts Festival 2015,{{Cite web|url=https://rachaelcraw.com/2015/02/17/check-out-this-super-exciting-event-2/|title=Check out this super exciting event|last=|first=|date=17 February 2015|website=Rachael Craw|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} Auckland Writers Festival Schools Programme 2015,{{Cite web|url=http://www.writersfestival.co.nz/news/Page9/uk-literary-sensation-anthony-horowitz-headlines-festivals-schools-programme/|title=UK literary sensation, Anthony Horowitz headlines Festival's Schools' Programme|last=|first=|date=11 February 2015|website=Auckland Writers Festival|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} WORD Christchurch Writers & Readers Festival 2016,{{Cite web|url=https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/word-christchurch-2016/|title=WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival 2016|last=|first=|date=|website=Christchurch City Libraries Nga Kete Wananga-o-Otautahi|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} Somerset Celebration of Literature, Queensland, 2017,{{Cite web|url=https://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/storyfest/authors-and-illustrators/rachael-craw-2017/|title=Storyfest Authors and Illustrators 2018: Rachael Craw|last=|first=|date=|website=Somerset Storyfest|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} State Library Victoria Reading Matters Conference and Regional Tour of Victoria, 2018{{Cite web|url=https://rachaelcraw.com/2017/09/10/looking-back-reading-matters/|title=Looking back: Reading Matters|last=|first=|date=10 September 2018|website=Rachael Craw|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 October 2018}} and the Storylines Auckland Story Tours 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.storylines.org.nz/Events+and+activities/Storylines+National+Festival+Story+Tour.html|title=Storylines National Festival Story Tour|last=|first=|date=|website=Storylines|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} She is active on social media and has the support of the #SparkArm] campaign of teen readers, started by a group of Australian YA book bloggers.{{Cite web|url=https://rachaelcraw.com/2014/12/28/a-couple-of-amazing-ya-aussie-book-bloggers/|title=Meet the amazing #SparkArmy|last=|first=|date=28 December 2014|website=Rachael Craw|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} Her character Jamie in Spark was nominated for the Teencon Book Boyfriend Battle as part of Sydney's Writers Festival 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://rachaelcraw.com/2015/05/24/huge-turn-out-for-the-squealiest/|title=Teen Con Book Boyfriend Battle|last=|first=|date=24 May 2015|website=Rachael Craw|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}

Her work has been compared to the worldwide hit series The Hunger Games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/Pages/book-list.aspx?BookListID=51|title=Like The Hunger Games? Try these New Zealand books|last=|first=|date=|website=Auckland Council Libraries Nga Pataka Korero o Tamaki Makaurau|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.walkerbooks.com.au/Books/Spark-9781925081794|title=Books: Spark by Rachael Craw|last=|first=|date=|website=Walker Books Australia & New Zealand|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} She cites some of her own favourite authors as Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Knox, Kate Atkinson and Maggie Stiefvater.

Craw's first novel Spark was named as a Storylines Notable Book for Young Adult Fiction (2015);{{Cite web|url=https://www.storylines.org.nz/Awards/Storylines+Notable+Books+Awards/Notable+Books+List+2015.html|title=Notable Books List 2015|last=|first=|date=|website=Storylines|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} it was on the State Library Victoria Inky Awards Silver Inky Award shortlist (2015){{Cite web|url=https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/SLV%20-%20Inky%20Awards%20Shortlist%20Media%20Release%20%2825%20August%202015%29.pdf|title=Media Release: Australia's favourite young adult authors shortlisted for Inky Awards|last=|first=|date=25 August 2015|website=State Library Victoria|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} and the LIANZA Children's Book Awards Longlist (2015) and was a New Zealand Book Awards Children's Choice Finalist for Young Adult Fiction (2015).{{Cite web|url=https://authors.org.nz/author/rachaelcraw/|title=Rachael Craw|last=|first=|date=|website=NZSA The New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}} It has been recently optioned for film by Miss Conception Films.

Stray was the Winner of the Children's Choice Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults (2016).{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/past-winners?year=2016|title=Past winners: 2016|last=|first=|date=|website=NZ Book Awards Trust|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=19 October 2018}}

• Spark (Walker Books, Australia, 2014)
• Stray (Walker Books, Australia, 2015)
• Shield (Walker Books Australia, 2016)
• The Rift (Walker Books Australia, 2018)

E-books

• Kill Switch (Walker Books Australia, 2015)
• Black Room (Walker Books Australia, 2015)
• Scar Tissue (Walker Books Australia, 2015)

• Rachael Craw's [https://rachaelcraw.com/ website]
• Profile of [http://www.topwriters.co.nz/rachael-craw.html Rachael Craw] on Top of the South NZSA website

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Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand women writers

Category:New Zealand children's writers

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:University of Canterbury alumni