Rebecca Slater
Rebecca (she/they) has over 12 years’ experience in the books and publishing industry across Australia and the UK. Through her roles at organisations such as Allen & Unwin, Left Bank Literary and the Stella Prize, she has worked with many of Australia’s leading authors.
Rebecca is an experienced rights-seller, with international scouting experience in the UK, and holds a Masters in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Oxford.
In 2021, she co-founded the Open Book: Australian Publishing Internship, which seeks to foster cultural diversity in the publishing industry. She also works with Australia Reads building recreational reading rates in Australia, and was recently selected as one of Creative Australia’s Creative Leaders for the literature sector.
She is an active member of the emerging writers community, and has volunteered with the National Young Writers Festival, Sydney Story Factory and Overland Literary Journal, among others.
Rebecca is passionate about championing work by women and non-binary writers, First Nations storytellers, and the LGBTQI+ community.
She lives and works in Naarm on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Peoples of the Kulin Nation.
Books I love…
In fiction, I’m drawn to weird, smart and offbeat novels – books that make us laugh, turn us on and celebrate difference. I love the voices of authors like Jenny Offill, Carmen Maria Machado, Alexander Chee and Sheila Heti, and have recently enjoyed the novels Lost Lambs, Chosen Family, and All My Puny Sorrows.
I love deeply atmospheric, vaguely spooky, and gorgeously written novels with some of my favourites including Rebecca, The Safekeep, The Secret History, Fever Dream, The Vegetarian, Burntcoat and Small Things Like These.
In non-fiction, I’m interested in writing that grapples with the present moment in all its complexity and absurdity, and offers us insights into the way through.
I’m eager to uplift the voices of queer and gender-diverse authors as well as our brilliant First Nations storytellers, whether that be through literary and genre fiction, poetry, memoir or non-fiction.
Above all, though, I want a good story! Whether it’s a superbly plotted crime novel, a heart-warming rom-com or a deeply researched non-fiction work – I’m looking for writing that entertains, inspires, and connects with readers in meaningful ways.