Dr Rachel Matthews is a Melbourne author and lecturer whose work blends tragicomedy with sharp social commentary. Her debut Vinyl Inside was highly commended in the Vogel Awards, her PhD novel Siren examined sexual violence in football, and Never Look Desperate was named one of 2023’s ‘Best New Australian Fiction’ by The Australian and The Guardian. She has been published in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Canberra Times and Women’s Agenda and runs Readers Are Writers workshops across Australia and internationally.