Jean
Rafferty,
Writer
Jean
Rafferty,
Writer
Words That Don't Look Away
Jean Rafferty has spent decades writing with unflinching honesty about the subjects that matter most — and some that make people uncomfortable. She has been called one of the UK's top feature writers, a novelist shortlisted for literary prizes, and an inspirational trainer who has helped hundreds of journalists find their voice. Whether you're here for her books, her journalism, or to develop your own writing, you're in the right place.
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Books
From prize-nominated literary fiction to feisty feline adventures — Jean's books tell stories that linger.
Journalism
Across four decades, Jean has written for the Guardian, magazines with the Mail on Sunday and Sunday Times and for the Sunday Herald — on everything from Buenos Aires to satanic abuse
Training
Jean trains journalists through the NUJ and offers one-to-one coaching, mentoring and editing for writers at every stage.
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Fireopal Books
Discover the books published by Jean Rafferty's imprint, Fireopal Books
Awards
Gutsy and cleverRosemary Goodchild Award Judges
Inspired pieceTravelex Travel Writing Awards
This was beautifully written, and a powerful piece. It exposed a topic that is often brushed under the carpet and the people who run hospitals need to sit up and take notice of an article like this.Judges, Norwich Union Medical Journalism Awards
Journalist
Jean Rafferty has spent four decades writing stories that matter. From the Guardian and the Sunday Times Magazine to the Sunday Herald and The Independent, her feature writing has covered subjects as varied as hospital care for the elderly, prostitution, suicide and travel — always with the precision and humanity that led fellow journalists to call her one of the UK's top feature writers, and a stylist.
Author
Jean's fiction carries the same unflinching quality. Her first two novels were both nominated for literary prizes. Her third, Foul Deeds Will Rise, took over twenty years and more than fifty rejections to reach publication — not because it wasn't good enough, but because its subject, satanist ritual abuse, remains as uncomfortable as it is important. More recently she has turned to children's fiction with Mary Braveheart Comes to the Cat Inn, the first in a series following a feisty wee cat and her reluctant companions.
Journalist Trainer
Alongside her writing, Jean has built a reputation as an inspiring teacher. She runs journalism training courses for the NUJ in Scotland — covering feature writing, pitching, and the publishing route — and offers one-to-one coaching and mentoring for writers at every stage. She is a qualified mentor with certification from the Chartered Management Institute, and a member of the M-Team, a collective of four experienced media professionals.