About Rachel

About Rachel

Rachel Le Rossignol is a writer, editor, trainer, presenter and actor. Harlequin’s Riddle, her first novel, was published in June 2017 by Odyssey Books under the pen name of Rachel Nightingale. This was followed by Columbine’s Tale and, coming in November 2019 the final book in the Tales of Tarya series: Pierrot’s Song.

Publications and Awards

  • The Birds, a musical retelling of Aristophanes’ play (composer Andrew Perkins, book and lyrics Rachel Nightingale) had its world premiere in Auckland, May 2019.
  • Crime Fiction (play) selected for performance for Short and Sweet 2016/17 (Manila and Sydney)
  • No Sequel (play) winner of First Prize and People’s Choice award, Eltham Little Theatre 10 Minute Quickies competition 2014, shortlisted for Short and Sweet 2015, performed at Bendigo Theatre Company 10×10 Short Play Festival 2017
  • Short stories selected for exhibition as part of the Cancer Council of Victoria Arts Awards 2008, 2010
  • Finalist, ‘Retire to Inspire’ short story competition, HESTA, judged by Bryce Courtenay
  • First prize, U16 section, Mercury Short Story competition, 1986, Things that go bump in the night
  • Fiction and non-fiction published in Honi Soit (University of Sydney), BellyJournal, Nurture, Theatre People (website), Reading Time (Children’s Book Council Australia website).

As scriptwriter: The Birds (musical), performed by Bach Musica NZ; Murder on the Puffing Billy Express (2013-2015), Melbourne; The Snow Queen (musical), performed by Gemco Theatre Company; A Midsummer (Bay) Night’s Dream, performed by Gemco Youth Theatre on 3MDR radio.

Presentation Experience

Actor: scripted theatre and improvisation. Favourite role: playing Granny Weatherwax in Maskerade. A regular cast member of Murder on the Puffing Billy Express (2011-2015), and a storyteller at Medieval feasts. Reader of the 8 finalist entries of the HNSA pitch competition, HNSA conference 2015 and 2017.

Panelist and Chair: Historical Novel Society of Australasia (HNSA) (2015, 2017) (chair and panelist), Swinburne Writers Festival (2016) (chair), Eltham Library Author’s Talk (2016) (chair), Continuum (2017), HNSA (2017), Conflux (2017), Bendigo Writers Festival (2017, 2018, 2019).

Presenter: Australian Association of Writing Programs (2011, 2012, 2014), Australasian Universities Language and Literature Association (2011), Aussiecon 4 (2010)

Skills

  • storytelling, music, creative writing, theatre, acting, scriptwriting, presenting
  • structural editing, professional document writing, academic writing, research skills

Experienced in Action Research, communications, training, social work, teaching, community work and youth work

My key fascination is the power that stories have in our lives, to engage, illuminate and transform.