Dr Rachel Matthews is an Australian author and lecturer known for blending tragicomedy with social commentary. Her debut, Vinyl Inside, was commended in the Australian Vogel Awards, and her PhD novel, Siren, tackled sexual violence in Australian football. Her third novel, Never Look Desperate, a tragi-comedy, was named among 2023’s ‘Best New Australian Fiction’ by The Australian and The Guardian. Rachel contributes to news journalism, appears on ABC radio and runs Readers Are Writers workshops.