Rachel Kelly Biography
Rachel Kelly is a former Times journalist who is now a mental health campaigner, public speaker, and writer.
In her early thirties, Rachel was diagnosed with serious depression and subsequently suffered two major depressive episodes. These two episodes have become the defining events of her life. Since then, she has written about the condition, and how she has recovered, in books that have been read by tens of thousands of people. Her memoir about her experience of serious depression Black Rainbow was a Sunday Times bestseller .
Rachel now speaks publicly about her experience of depression and recovery in an effort to reduce stigma and educate people about the reality of mental illness. She also runs workshops for mental health charities to share what she has learnt about how to stay calm and well.
How I Found the Agency
I heard about the agency through a novelist friend of mine who is part of my book club.
Author Details:
- Author's website: http://www.rachel-kelly.net
Author News
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Rachel Kelly reaches No.3 in Amazon bestseller list 08 Jan 2016
Rachel Kelly’s new book Walking on Sunshine is up to No.3 in the Amazon bestseller list (and no.2 in ‘Movers and Shakers’).
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Walking on Sunshine becomes bestseller 07 Jan 2016
Congratulations to Rachel Kelly whose Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness is no 1 in BestMind, Body & Spirit Self Help on Amazon. Her appearance today on Lorraine Kelly can be seen here.
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Rachel Kelly on Jeremy Vine 17 Nov 2015
Rachel Kelly can be heard on Jeremy Vine talking about her new book Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness about an hour in
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nnfnr
Her website can be found at www.rachel-kelly.net
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Rachel Kelly no 4 on Amazon 16 Nov 2015
Congratulations to Rachel Kelly whose self-help book Walking on Sunshine: 52 Small Steps to Happiness went to no 4 on Amazon over the weekend.
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Rachel Kelly on the BBC 14 Jul 2015
Rachel Kelly will be a guest on the Anne Diamond show today on BBC Berkshire, discussing her book Black Rainbow.
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Rachel Kelly in the Telegraph 23 Mar 2015
Rachel Kelly has written a fascinating article for the Daily Telegraph on the healing nature of poetry.
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Rachel Kelly writes for the Catholic Herald 27 Feb 2015
‘The world of self-help is edging away from the notion that high levels of self-esteem are the key to mental health…’
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Rachel Kelly in the Sunday Times 17 Feb 2015
An old girl rewinds to help stressed young things press Pause (£)
‘After battling depression for years, Rachel Kelly revisited her old school, a leading independent, to help pupils cope with pressure and anxiety. She found some were veterans already…’
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Rachel Kelly writes for The Oldie 15 Jan 2015
Rachel Kelly has written a piece in praise of mothers, in The Oldie. -
Rachel Kelly in the Telegraph 29 Dec 2014
Rachel Kelly has contributed to an interesting piece in the Telegraph on working women.
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Rachel Kelly writes for the Sunday Times 16 Dec 2014
Rachel Kelly has written a fascinating piece on women and antidepressants in the Sunday Times.
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Rachel Kelly writes for Telegraph Weekend 08 Dec 2014
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More coverage for Rachel Kelly 17 Nov 2014
There was a good review for Rachel Kelly’s Black Rainbow in the Telegraph this weekend, and Rachel also featured on BBC radio’s The Why Factor, which you can listen again to here.
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Rachel Kelly in the Evening Standard 13 Oct 2014
The paperback launch of Rachel Kelly’s Black Rainbow was covered in the Evening Standard. The book won the Spear’s First Book prize.
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Rachel Kelly wins First Book award 30 Sep 2014
Congratulations to Rachel Kelly who has won this year’s Spear’s prize for Best First Book. William Cash, editor-in-chief of Spear’s, said Rachel’s memoir ‘Black Rainbow: How words healed me - my journey through depression’ tackled the difficult but important subject of depression and was a powerful and moving account of how Rachel used poetry to overcome her demons. Rachel’s book was published by Yellow Kite, a subsidiary of Hodder & Stoughton in April and comes out in paperback on 9th October.
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Stress-busting tips from Rachel Kelly 22 Sep 2014
Wellbeing: Ten stress savers you can’t live (happily) without
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Rachel Kelly remains in Waterstones Top 10 09 Sep 2014
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How Poetry Can Prove a Lifeline 23 Jul 2014
Rachel Kelly has written a new piece for the Huffington Post:
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Judy Finnigan reviews Black Rainbow 30 Jun 2014
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Rachel Kelly interview in the Telegraph 23 Jun 2014
Rachel Kelly: ‘I tried to be perfect. Then I dropped all the plates’
Rachel Kelly was the model wife, mother and society hostess, yet she nearly lost her sanity through depression. As her new book tells, it was the healing power of poetry that saved her -
Rachel Kelly on Woman's Hour 20 Jun 2014
Rachel Kelly’s fascinating Woman’s Hour interview is now available online:
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Rachel Kelly writes for the FT 20 Jun 2014
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Rachel Kelly's latest column for HuffPost 20 Jun 2014
In my last post, I gave you tips about eating to stay sane. But even if you know what you should eat, it is still hard to break old habits. It’s not what you are eating, but what’s eating you. For me, and I suspect it is the same for most people, our attitude to food is as much about emotion as it is about satisfying hunger. It is a case of mind over platter…
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Rachel Kelly is No.1 in Observer bestseller list 20 Jun 2014
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Rachel Kelly interview in the Sunday Independent 10 Jun 2014
Rachel Kelly was interviewed last weekend in Ireland’s biggest newspaper, the Sunday Independent.
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Rachel Kelly moves back into Times top ten 01 Jun 2014
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Rachel Kelly on Radio Gorgeous 29 May 2014
‘How do you explain to your child that your head is broken? Times journalist Rachel Kelly tells us about her journey through depression with the publication of her book Black Rainbow. She tells us how you can manage your life by learning new life skills and through the power of poetry.’
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Rachel Kelly on front page of Catholic Herald 23 May 2014
Rachel Kelly is on the front cover of the Catholic Herald, which features her powerful long piece on life-saving prayer and poetry. -
Rachel Kelly produces video with Dominic West 23 May 2014
Rachel Kelly’s video with actor Dominic West - about depression, the healing power of poetry, and Rachel’s new book Black Rainbow - is now online.
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Black Rainbow into Telegraph top 10 19 May 2014
Rachel Kelly’s powerful memoir Black Rainbow is at number 8 on the Telegraph bestseller list.
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Rachel Kelly writes for Therapy Today 17 May 2014
‘Looking back, I’m astonished that it took me two major breakdowns, one in 1997 and the second in 2004, before I began having therapy. Even though, during the second episode, I was bed-ridden for nearly a year, I was prejudiced against seeing a therapist’
In the client’s chair: The end of the rainbow
Black Rainbow is out now.
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A new perspective on Black Rainbow 16 May 2014
Rachel Kelly’s husband gives his perspective on Black Rainbow in the Standard.
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The Spectator reviews Black Rainbow 15 May 2014
‘Kelly writes with honesty, lucidity and directness… Her poignant book ends with much good, practical advice and all proceeds from the book go to the charities United Response and Sane.’
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Rachel Kelly in the Telegraph 12 May 2014
Rachel Kelly’s new book Black Rainbow is generating huge attention. Rachel has a piece in today’s Telegraph on How poetry helped me recover from depression. There’s also an excellent review in the same newspaper from Charles Moore:
‘In this book, she tells her story vividly… It will be of enormous use to sufferers: it is both practical and inspiring.’
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Boris Johnson's Ode to Rachel Kelly 12 May 2014
Mayor of London Boris Johnson wrote and performed a poem in tribute to Rachel Kelly at the launch of her new book Black Rainbow.
…There is no known disaster
That poetry can’t master
No human agony that it can’t calm
So when your nerves have turned to jelly
Follow clever Rachel Kelly
And uncork a poem’s magic verbal balm… -
Black Rainbow makes No.1 in Amazon categories 02 May 2014
Congratulations to Rachel Kelly whose memoir of coping with depression through poetry Black Rainbow is number one in the following categories, having generated enormous coverage:
· Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 70 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
o #1 in Books > Biography > Social & Health Issues > Living with Cancer & Other Illnesses o #1 in Books > Biography > Novelists, Poets & Playwrights > Poets o #1 in Books > Science & Nature > Medicine > Diseases & Disorders > Mental Diseases & Disorders > Depression
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Black Rainbow into Top 100 01 May 2014
Following Rachel Kelly’s appearance on Loose Women, her powerful memoir Black Rainbow: How Words Healed Me: My Journey Through Depression moved into Amazon’s Top 100 bestsellers.
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Second serial for Black Rainbow 21 Apr 2014
The second serial in Rachel Kelly’s memoir about her depression Black Rainbow is in the Mail on Sunday’s You Magazine.
My emotional ode to recovery: How one woman escaped the depths of depression through poetry
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Rachel Kelly serialised in The Times 19 Apr 2014
Rachel Kelly’s Black Rainbow is serialised in the Times Magazine today, alongside an interview with the author.
Author Details:
- Follow Rachel Kelly on Twitter @
- Author's website: http://www.rachel-kelly.net
