Dr Rachel Carney is a poet, non-fiction writer and creative writing teacher based in Cardiff. Her debut poetry collection Octopus Mind is published by Seren Books, and was selected as one of The Guardian’s Best Poetry Books of 2023.
She is currently teaching part time at both Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University. Information about the the creative writing courses she’s running this year can be found here. She has also previously taught at Swansea University, and in a range of community settings.
Her SWWDTP funded PhD (Cardiff University / Aberystwyth University) examines how ekphrastic poetry can complicate and enrich our engagement with art in museums, drawing on her experience of working in museums for several years. She is now working on a book Ekphrastic Poetry in Practice: Art and Words in Conversation to be published by Bloomsbury in 2027/8.
Rachel has had poems published in numerous magazines and journals, including Poetry Wales, Envoi, Under the Radar, the New Welsh Review, Ink Sweat and Tears, Poetry Saltzburg Review and Acumen. In 2021 she won the Pre-Raphaelite Society Poetry Competition, came 2nd in the Bangor Poetry Competition and was highly commended in the Liverpool Poetry Prize. She’s also had two poems shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and one poem nominated for the Forward Prize. See some of her published poems here.
She is also a literary critic, non-fiction writer and book blogger, reviewing a wide range of genres and literary events. She has been an editor (e.g. for The Cardiff Review, and Abergavenny Small Press Literary Journal) but is not currently editing right now. Her self-published book How to Start a Book Blog: A Step by Step Guide contains advice for anyone interested in creating a writer’s website or book blog. In recent years she has also experimented with visual art and interactive art, and her most recent work in this area includes pieces that exlore the possibilities of ekphrasis beyond the page.
Upcoming Poetry Readings:
- 20th March at Urban Wordsmiths/Hadau event in Cardiff for World Poetry Day
- 24th April Silver Street Bristol
- 8-10th May as part of the Aberystwyth Poetry Festival
Created to Read began in 2016 as a book review blog, with regular features, interviews with writers and reviews of literary festivals and events. The blog covers a wide range of genres, with a strong focus on poetry, literary fiction and historical fiction. I’m now also blogging about my life as a writer.
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Huw Aaron, the official illustrator for the Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival, designed the logo for this blog.
