Rachel Nightingale

Rachel Nightingale was a highly imaginative child who used to pretend she was wandering the woods looking for adventures on her way home from school. Once she understood creating stories gave her magical powers she decided to become a writer. She is now the author of the Tales of Tarya series (Odyssey Books): Harlequin’s Riddle, Columbine’s Tale and Pierrot’s Song. An award-winning playwright, her short plays have been performed in Melbourne, Sydney and Manila and she co-wrote the script for Murder on the Puffing Billy Express, which is performed on a vintage steam train and attracts audiences from around the world. With composer Andrew Perkins she has written a musical version of Aristophane’s The Birds, which was premiered at the Auckland Town Hall by Bach Musica NZ. Having survived improv theatre, traveled the world and immersed herself endlessly in research and creative practice, she often finds herself at the mercy of stories that demand to be written.