Rachel Sargeant

• MA Creative Writing (Lancaster University)
• Diploma in Management Studies (University of West London)
• BLIB German and Librarianship (Aberystwyth University)

The early part of my career was spent in public library management in England. I then lived in Germany for several years where I taught English as a Second Language. On return to the UK, I worked in school library management while, in my spare time, writing novels and studying for a masters in Creative Writing. Two years ago I became a full-time author.

• I taught/teach Creative Writing and Research Skills in primary and secondary schools, previously as part of my role in school libraries and now, occasionally, as a freelance writer.
• I worked as a freelance teacher of English as Second Language at the Hochschule Niederrhein, Germany.

My creative study, in the form of a literary thriller, will depict how a trauma survivor’s ordeal is often rewritten by the media and social media to fit the archetypal victim narrative. But in telling this story, am I also guilty of hijack? Recent high-profile bestsellers have been challenged for lacking authenticity and exploiting third-party trauma. My accompanying critical study will examine ‘trauma appropriation’. Should writers draw only on their personal histories, or is it acceptable to derive inspiration from the harrowing experiences of others?

I am a full member of the following professional bodies:

• Society of Authors
• Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
• Crime Writers’ Association
• Psychological and Suspense Authors’ Association