Nationality British Role Poet Name Rachel McCarthy | Notable works Element | |
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Occupation Scientist, Poet, Broadcaster | ||
Notable awards Laureate's Choice 2015 |
Rachel McCarthy 'Survey North of 60' from Element
Rachel McCarthy (born 31 July 1984) is a British scientist, poet and broadcaster.
Contents
- Rachel McCarthy Survey North of 60 from Element
- Rachel McCarthy Laureates Choice Dogger Bank Live
- Early life and education
- Career
- Honours and awards
- Poetry
- Scientific papers
- Articles and essays
- References
Rachel McCarthy, Laureate's Choice. Dogger Bank (Live)
Early life and education
Rachel McCarthy was born in Preston, Lancashire. She was educated at St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Leyland, Leyland St Mary's Catholic High School and studied six A-levels at Runshaw College, Leyland. She went on to study Natural Sciences at Durham University as a member of University College. She graduated in 2006 with double first class honours in Chemistry and Physics.
Career
In 2008 she joined the Met Office soon becoming a Senior Climate Scientist, specialising in Climate Impacts and Disaster Risk Reduction. In 2010 she was seconded to London to advise the UK Government Department of Energy and Climate Change on policy matters relating to weather and climate including renewable energy provision. On her return to the Met Office she worked as Private Secretary to the Met Office Chief Scientist Prof. Dame Julia Slingo and became the first to hold the post of Expert Scientist in Communications.
In 2009 she established ExCite Poetry, the Devon arm of the UK Poetry Society. Within six months of its formation, ExCite Poetry became the largest regional arm of the Poetry Society by a significant margin with well over 200 members and was consequently the focus of a BBC Radio 4 programme. Between 2009 and 2013 she co-hosted a monthly arts-review show on Phonic FM, hailed by the Sunday Times as "providing some of the most inspiring broadcasting in the country".
In 2013 she became Director of the Exeter Poetry Festival.
Honours and awards
In 2015 she was chosen by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy as one of four of the most exciting new voices in British poetry that year. Her first pamphlet "Element" was published in June 2015 by Smith Doorstop under the imprint of Laureate's Choice.