I'm Rachael, an award-winning freelance journalist and author.

My reporting bylines can be found online and in print across all sorts of publications, big and small: the Times, Daily Mail, the Guardian, Wired, Nature, the New Statesman, GQ Korea, the Independent, the i paper, Times Higher Education, Research Professional News, Inside Housing, Monocle, Easyjet magazine, Wanderlust, Project magazine, and The Travel Mag, just to name a few.

I'm also an experienced editor. I frequently edit and sub-edit copy for the New Statesman and Research Professional News, and also take on editing packages for Wired.com and other websites (commissioning features and knocking them in to shape).

Before going freelance in 2019, I covered research and Latin American academia forTimes Higher Education magazine. Before that, I worked at the Independent – first on the print newspaper (RIP) and later online as the education correspondent and Indy Student editor.

These days I mostly write about science and research, but I love any weird and wonderful human interest story, not to mention travel and world affairs.

From October 2023 – July 2025 I travelled and wrote my way around Latin America. I covered some exciting events including the Argentinian presidential election, but I also kept a travel diary in the form of this Substack newsletter – which has been featured on Smallstack and other platforms.

Yes, I speak decent Spanish and am attempting to improve my Portuguese... mas os sotaques são muito difíceis!

Did I mention that I once wrote two books in one year? (It was Covid, but I really don't recommend doing that). Genomics: How genome sequencing will change our lives is published by Penguin Cornerstone, and Plan S for Shock: Science, Shock, Solution, Speed is available to download via open access (ie, for free!) – just click the link.

In September 2023 I was chuffed to be named Freelancer of the Year at the Medical Journalists' Association annual awards ceremony.

I've previously been shortlisted at the British Journalism Awards (2021) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ annual Education Journalism Awards (2018). And before that, do you know what, I never realised you had to actually apply for these things yourself... so goodbye any hope of "30 under 30"!

Still want to get in touch? You can email me at rachaelpellsjourno[at]gmail.com.

Thanks for visiting!