Rachael English

Beginner’s Pluck.
Interviewed by Sue Leonard.
Published on 8th June In the Irish Examiner

Beginner’s Pluck Rachael English.

Always interested in journalism, Rachael once assumed she’d work on newspapers.
“But when I left college it was easier to get into radio,” she says.

Starting on Clare FM, Rachael then became a reporter in RTE’s newsroom. Stints in Morning Ireland and News at One followed, before Rachael presented Five Seven Live. After that, she presented a series on the 2007 election, on the Census, and a series of Science programmes. She hosted Late Debate and Saturday Review, before going to Morning Ireland to fill in for holidays.
“And I’ve been there ever since.”

The flexible hours of Morning Ireland, gave Rachael the space to write.
“I’d always assumed I could never write a novel, but I got the idea, and sketched it out.”

Who is Rachael English?

Date of birth: 26th October, 1968, in Lincolnshire.

Education: Comprehensive school in Shannon. Dublin City University. Communications.

Home: Dublin.

Family: Husband, Eamon Quinn, a journalist.

The Day Job: Presenter on RTE’s Morning Ireland.

Interests: Going to sporting events; especially hurling and Gaelic football.

Favourite Writers: Anne Tyler; Denis Lehane; Maeve Binchy.

Second Novel: Set in present day Dublin, it’s about a wealthy family and how they cope when things start to go wrong for them.

Top Writing Tip: Don’t let your fears about writing put you off. And enjoy it!

Web: No. Twitter: @Englishrachael

The Debut: Going Back. Orion Books: €15.99. Kindle: €8.17

It’s the summer of 1988, and six students are in Boston enjoying the J1 experience. Normally dutiful Elizabeth, surprises everyone by falling for Bostonian Danny. Over 20 years later, she returns to the City when a family crisis hits. Can she reconcile the 20 year old she was, with the woman she has become?

“I wanted to write about emigration, now that it’s happening again. I was in Boston in 1998, and I drew on my memories. In that brief time, you can try being a different person, or maybe be yourself.”

The Verdict: Hugely romantic and readable. The characters face interesting dilemmas.
© Sue Leonard. 2013