Rachel Connolly

Rachel Connolly
Born	1993 (age 31–32)
Alma mater	University of Manchester
Years active	2018–present

Rachel Connolly (born 1993) is an Irish author, journalist, critic and essayist. Her debut novel Lazy City (2023) won a Betty Trask Award.

Early life

Connolly was born in Belfast and is from a Catholic background.^[1] Connolly attended Methodist College Belfast.^[2] She graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in maths and physics.^[3]

Career

After graduating from university, Connolly had her first full-time job working for an insurance company as a risk analyst. She took leave to pursue two newspaper internships, including at The Independent. In 2018, Connolly earned a Google Fellowship to join the RTÉ investigations department. During this time, she also started freelancing.^[4] As a critic and essayist, Connolly has contributed to publications including The Guardian, the London Review of Books, the Financial Times, The New Republic, The Cut and The New York Times.^[5]

In 2022, Canongate Books acquired the rights to publish Connolly's debut novel Lazy City in 2023.^[6] The contemporary novel follows a character who moves back to Belfast from London after the death of a friend.^[7][8][9] Lazy City won a Betty Trask Award^[10] and was selected as an RTÉ Book of the Week by Aimée Walsh.^[11] Connolly was named a summer 2023 emerging author by Dazed.^[12]

Personal life

Connolly lives in London.^[13][14]

Bibliography

• Lazy City (2023)

References

1. O'Connell, Mark (4 January 2024). "With Her Debut Novel, Rachel Connolly Is Avoiding the Discourse Trap". Interview. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
2. Leonard, Sue (15 September 2023). "Beginner's Pluck: Rachel Connolly". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
3. Donnelly, Niamh (20 August 2023). "Rachel Connolly: 'I presumed everybody secretly wanted to be a writer and no one got to do it'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
4. Doherty, Catriona (24 August 2023). "Belfast author Rachel Connolly on her debut novel and finding inspiration in her hometown". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
5. Bonhomme, Edna (18 October 2023). "'I'm Pretty Rebellious' – Edna Bonhomme Interviews Rachel Connolly". Silver Press. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
6. Comerford, Ruth (7 September 2022). "Canongate falls for Connolly's 'hymn to love'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
7. Popescu, Lucy (27 August 2023). "Lazy City by Rachel Connolly review – wry portrait of a city". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
8. Warde, Luke (19 August 2023). "Rachel Connolly's deft exploration of ordinary human unhappiness in Belfast-set Lazy City". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
9. Pierce, Barry (2 September 2023). "Lazy City by Rachel Connolly review: A mesmerising portrait of modern Belfast". Big Issue. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
10. "Betty Trask Award & Prize – 2024". iBrowse Books. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
11. Walsh, Aimée (23 September 2023). "Book Of The Week: Lazy City by Rachel Connolly". RTÉ. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
12. "Page turners: 10 emerging authors pick their favourite new books". Dazed. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
13. Grady, Kitty (21 August 2023). "Rachel Connolly's Debut Novel Is a Sharp Meditation on Mourning". AnOther. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
14. Elven, Lucie (18 December 2023). ""I'm Not Really Interested in Creating Sympathetic Characters." Rachel Connolly Talks to Lucie Elven". Literary Hub. Retrieved 16 February 2025.