Rachael King

Rachael King is a New Zealand author, writer, and former literary festival director. Born in 1970, she earned a Master's in Creative Writing from Victoria University in 2001. Her debut novel *The Sound of Butterflies* (2007) became a bestseller and was translated into eight languages. She has written children's novels like *Red Rocks* (2013) and *The Grimmelings* (2024), with *Red Rocks* in TV development. King served as Programme Director of the WORD Christchurch Festival for eight years, organizing international literary events. She received a 2020 Waitangi Day Honour Award for bringing exiled Kurdish writer Behrouz Boochani to New Zealand and was named Best Reviewer at the 2023 Voyager NZ Media Awards. Her work spans literary fiction, children's literature, and cultural advocacy, with a focus on storytelling that bridges personal and historical narratives.