Rachel Delahaye

Rachel Delahaye

Children's author, YA author

racheldelahaye.com
Booking enquiry
Rachel Delahaye - author tools

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview, Commission a book

Audiences

Age 5 to 7, Age 7 to 11, Age 11 to 14

Genres

Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fairy tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humour, Satire, Science fiction

Book types

Comic, Fiction 5-9, Fiction 8-13, Fiction for young-adults

Details

I HAVE IN-PERSON SCHOOL VISIT VACANCIES FROM MARCH 15th ONWARDS.


I am a prolific children's writer with background in journalism and a love of sharing stories and celebrating the written word.

My books are predominantly teen and middle-grade, with my Little Animal Series at the younger end of the spectrum, my dark comedy series, Mort the Meek and Jim Reaper in the middle and Day of the Whale and Electric Life at the older end. 

My eco-thriller for 11+, DAY OF THE WHALE was nominated for the 2023 YOTO CARNEGIE AWARD FOR WRITING.

My futuristic thriller for 12+, ELECTRIC LIFE has been longlisted for the 2024 YOTO CARNEGIE AWARD FOR WRITING.

As well as writing my own fiction, I am a reliable writer-for-hire, and have completed young fiction series for Little Tiger and Farshore (was Egmont). 

My books have been featured in THE GUARDIAN books round up, the GUARDIAN CHILDREN'S PICK and THE WEEK JUNIOR, among other review platforms, and I have done print, blog and radio interviews. 

SCHOOL VISITS

When it comes to school talks and creative workshops, I am an experienced schoolkid wrangler and I make it my absolute mission to inspire everyone in the room. From making stories out of thin air to moulding believable characters, creating new worlds and exploring descriptive language, I am supercharged and will not only entertain but educate at every event.

ASSEMBLIES and TALKS: My assemblies/talks often focus on why stories are so important - and involve my journey to becoming a writer, a call to the children to step up as future story-tellers, and also the importance of funny books. Using presentations and interactive games, the children will participate as well as listen. It's a raucous and unforgettable event.

WORKSHOPS: My most popular workshops are spark-a-story, create a character and build a world. However, in addition to the 'creative' workshops, I also run a joke-creation workshop that explores basic grammar elements, which is ideal for primary school children who are focussing on spelling and grammar for their tests. I am also running comedy workshops, teaching children how to create amusing scenes using observation and language.

HOW LONG IS A SESSION?: A full day will usually comprise an all-school assembly, followed by four one-hour workshops. But how we use my time is very much up to you, and if you need to me to fit more or less into the day, I will. I can also tailor talks to your curriculum or study topics, and while my events tend to be very lively and funny, the mood can be steered in any direction you like. 

 

www.racheldelahaye.com

 

TRAVEL: I am willing to travel anywhere in the world, dependent on time of year, convenience and whether travel expenses are paid! I am based in Somerset in the UK and have easy access to Bristol International Airport, Central London and major train lines.

FEES: I am not rigid on my fee structure; I am aware that school budgets are currently under pressure. So please do contact me and I'll send you a sheet with ballpark fees that we can manipulate according to circumstances, distance and travel needs. In work hours, I will reply to an email within four hours.  racheldelahaye@yahoo.com.au (despite the funny email address, I am based in the UK)

FOR DETAILS ON WORKSHOP CONTENT AND TALKS PLEASE GO TO: https://www.racheldelahaye.com/workshops--visits.html

 

WHAT SCHOOLS SAY

"The assembly was a huge hit and children and staff are still buzzing about it. The workshops were fantastic too. I hope you don't mind if I recommend ​you to other schools!" - Paragon School, Bath

“The children are still talking about the visit from Rachel weeks later. The children were truly inspired by Rachel and there was a real sense of awe and wonder around her visit.” - T.Hinkley, Interim Head, Woodthorne Primary School, Wolverhampton

"What a wonderfully inspirational afternoon for our KS2 pupils, but don't take my word for it; this is what one of our Year 5 pupils said: "Rachel Delahaye was the best author visits ever - it was very exciting! Rachel didn't just tell us how important books are, she released our inner story tellers." I don't think I could put it any better myself! Miss Cleveland, HLTA & School Librarian
Cannon Park Primary School, Coventry 


"The children are still buzzing - many of them went away over the weekend and wrote up stories which emerged from the sessions with you. Here are some quotes from Year 5 : "Thank you for coming - you inspired us to write stories", "You gave us lots of ideas and we thought you were really funny!", "I can't wait to read ​The Glove of Death!" Cirencester Primary School
 

"Rachel's visit was entertaining and inspiring. Our key stage two  pupils loved hearing about her stories and how her ideas evolve. She taught them how to create funny and exciting stories from random starting points. A few children started the day as 'aliens'
​(non readers/writers) and ended the day bursting with ideas!" - Cumnor Primary School, Oxon

"The pupils' feedback: 'exciting to do a workshop with'; 'fun and inspiring'; 'really thought about what she taught us'; 'she made me understand how to write a story'. So, I think you could call them 'happy customers'!" Wells Cathedral School 

 

Event feedback

Thanks. we booked Rachel and she came on the 25th May. We really enjoyed her sessions and the children had fun learning about what it takes to be an author.

Rebecca Blane (Bethany Junior School)

Our day with Rachel was fantastic. All children loved the whole school assembly and she was brilliant in the KS2 workshops. both adults and children said how much fun they had in their sessions and how much they enjoyed it. Thank you Rachel for a wonderful day.

Alice Dowler (Newtown Community Primary School)

Books by Rachel Delahaye

I have written over 30 books, including comedy series such as Mort the Meek and Jim Reaper (age 8-12) and Day of the Whale - an eco thriller, and Electric Life (YA sci-fi). I also write younger middle-grade fiction, namely the Little Animal Rescue series, which contains adventures and plenty of animal facts, and work as a writer for hire. Projects include books under the 'Pip Bird' brand, as well as level readers for well-known literacy series such as Rising Stars, Big Cat and Oxford Tree.
978-1912745197
Day of the Whale

Day of the Whale

Cam’s quest to understand Big Blue leads him to new friends and shared adventures – but the truth, when he finds it, is more dangerous than ever he could have imagined. 'Follow the big blue'. That was the last thing Cam’s father said to him. Cam follows Big Blue - everybody does on the island of Cetacea. Their lives take place within his rules, delivered to them by enigmatic whale-talker, Byron Vos. Byron was once a marine scientist but is now organizing an epic clean-up operation to revive the ocean after centuries of human greed and neglect. And yet Cam wonders if there is a more complex truth. A truth that may be connected to his father’s disappearance. Cam’s quest to understand Big Blue leads him to new friends and shared adventures – but the truth, when he finds it, is more dangerous than ever he could have imagined. 
978-1788953146
Mort the Meek and The Ravens' Revenge

Mort the Meek and The Ravens' Revenge

On Brutalia violence is a way of life. Ravenous ravens circle overhead, monstrous grot bears cause chaos and the streets are bulging with brawls. But Mort isn’t like the other islanders – he’s determined to live peacefully. His struggle is made even tougher when the cruel queen appoints Mort as Royal Executioner. No one has challenged the royals and lived to tell the tale. Can Mort keep his head and outwit the queen? 
978-1788950688
Little Lion Rescue

Little Lion Rescue

Fliss loves animals and will do anything to save them! Join her on her adventures to save wild animals in danger. What starts out as a school trip to the zoo for Fliss and her classmates ends up being the adventure of a lifetime when Fliss is magically whisked away to the Serengeti! There she finds a little lost lion cub, separated from its family, and Fliss is determined to reunite them. But with only a bottle of water, half a sandwich and her instinct to guide her across the plains, is she ready to face the wild? LITTLE LION RESCUE is perfect for fans of Holly Webb, the ZOE’S RESCUE ZOO series and animal-lovers everywhere! 
978-1848127890
The Daily Joker

The Daily Joker

Welcome to THE DAILY JOKER: with a belly-wobbling joke for every day of the year, and joking tips and challenges aplenty, this is the year you'll become the funniest version of you possible! Think of this joke book as a map allowing you to sail the seven sillies, plot a course to Hilarity Island, steer clear of the rocks of stony silence, surf the waves of laughter and dig up comedy gold. 
978-1912745326

Electric Life

Alara’s incredible gaming skills bring her to the attention of Estrella’s leaders. She is chosen to go on a dangerous mission to London Under, the original older, long-deserted and distrusted city on top of which Estrella (the Star city) was built, to gather ‘vital’ intelligence. Estrella is the perfect society, an immaculate, sanitised, connected environment where everything is channelled through the digital medium. There is no dirt, no pain, no disease, no natural world, even feelings like boredom are frowned upon and discouraged. Alara is dropped down to London Under and into a “new” world which bewilders her and disorientates her. How will she survive in a society where noise dirt and sometimes pain are everyday experiences and where food is not synthetic and tastes real? Will she accomplish her mission? Who can she trust? How will she get back to Estrella and her family and her life without worry? 
978-1848124899
Jim Reaper: Saving Granny Maggot

Jim Reaper: Saving Granny Maggot

Jim is getting to grips with his father's rather unusual job at the Dead End Office and is keeping the truth secret as a promise to Dad. But when Jim sees that Will's grandma is next on the list of Death Dates, he springs into action. Even though Granny Maggot is smelly, mean-spirited and VERY unfriendly, his best friend Will adores her. Jim has to do something! If the boys can keep Will's granny safe until midnight, can they save her life? 
978-1788950732
Little Dolphin Rescue

Little Dolphin Rescue

Fliss loves animals and will do anything to save them! Join her on her adventures to save wild animals in danger. A swimming lesson takes an exciting turn when Fliss is magically whisked away to the Indian Ocean! There she finds a young dolphin in trouble and she knows she has to help. But she’s scared of deep water, and who knows what other animals there might be out there! Can Fliss face her fears and save her new friend? LITTLE DOLPHIN RESCUE is perfect for fans of Holly Webb, the ZOE’S RESCUE ZOO series and animal-lovers everywhere! 
978-1848125872
Jim Reaper: Glove of Death

Jim Reaper: Glove of Death

When Mum asks Jim to rid their garden of snails, he has an idea. Using the white glove from Dad's study, Jim is going to give each snail a swift and painless death. But can he go through with it? When Mr Darcy the cat gets involved, Jim loses the glove and trouble breaks loose. The third story in the deadly funny JIM REAPER series, perfect for fans of Dahl, Walliams and Lemony Snicket. 

Keywords

ADVENTURE ANIMALS ASSEMBLY COMEDY CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT EXCITING EXCITING FANTASY FICTION FUN FUNNY HUMOUR KS1 KS2 MORTTHEMEEK PRIMARY PRIMARYSCHOOL SCHOOLTALKS THRILLER WILDLIFE WORKSHOP WORLDBOOKDAY