S2E4: Rachael King

In this episode of Bad Diaries Podcast, Tracy talks with award winning writer, reviewer, former literary festival director and ex-bass player Rachael King about reading journals, her love of a good boot, and why she’s no longer writing novels for adults.

Rachael’s latest novel, The Grimmelings – “folk horror! for kids!” – is proper scary. And it’s a finalist in the New Zealand Children’s Book Awards, for the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction. In this episode of the podcast, we wonder whether writing for younger readers is having a bit of a buzzy moment – in Aotearoa New Zealand, at least – and we talk about why writing books for children is more important to Rachael than ever.

We turn to diaries, and look at the unique perspective Rachael brings to the Bad Diaries universe. As literary director of WORD Christchurch festival, she booked the first Bad Diaries Salon outside Australia (and our first festival collab); she’s been a Bad Diaries Salon reader; and she’s been in the audience for several salons. We’re thrilled to expand her connection to Bad Diaries, by welcoming her to the podcast.

Rachael King is a writer from Aotearoa New Zealand. She is the author of two novels for children, The Grimmelings and Red Rocks. Red Rocks won the Esther Glen Medal in 2013, and is currently being produced for television by Libertine Pictures and Sky TV.

Her first novel for adults, The Sound of Butterflies, was published internationally and translated into eight languages, and won the award for best first novel at the 2007 Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Her second novel, Magpie Hall, was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. 

Rachael was programme director of WORD Christchurch Festival for eight years until late 2021. She received a Waitangi Day Honour Award in 2020 from the New Zealand Society of Authors (PEN NZ) for her work at WORD bringing exiled Kurdish writer Behrouz Boochani to New Zealand. In 2023 she was named Best Reviewer at the Voyager New Zealand Media Awards. She lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Find full show notes for this episode on the Bad Diaries Salon website baddiariessalon.com, or get in touch via Instagram or Facebook – we're @baddiariessalon everywhere.

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Bad Diaries Podcast is recorded and produced in Naarm Melbourne, Australia, on the lands of the Kulin Nation; and in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, on the iwi lands of Taranaki Whānui, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. We pay our respects to Mana Whenua, and to Elders past, present and emerging, of these lands.