Rachel Handley 🏳️‍🌈

@rachelahandley.com

15776 Followers 5290 Following

Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool. SFF Author. Poet. 🦉 Possible Worlds and Other Stories (2022) They/Them. rachelahandley.com

A photo of my face. A white non-binary person with short brown hair and a black shirt on.
Writing Science Fiction: Who are we? What can we know? Why are crystalline entities so awesome? Whether you’re a hardcore sci-fi writer or just starting out, this workshop will help you harness the narrative possibilities of science fiction. Wednesday 03 June 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm BST Rachel Handley Online Free for Wrier's HQ Members
A red brick building on campus with a tall light green tower in the centre. The foreground is a large field.
The British Fantasy Society, Dominic Berry, Elizabeth Hopkinson, Rachel Handley, Alex Penland, 7 pm: Open Mic, 5 min slots for poetry or stories, 8 pm Panel Discussion and Q&A. 22nd April.
Poster which reads: Writing Philosophical Fiction with Dr Rachel Handley. When: Wednesday 25th March 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Saturday 28th March 1 pm to 3 pm. Where: Liverpool Central Library, Hornby Library. All writers welcome! All is need is a pen and paper. Participants will produce several pieces of flash fiction during this two-hour workshop. Designed for adults, the workshop introduces key philosophical themes found in different parts of both literature and philosophy and guides participants in writing in response to those themes. We will look at topics such as the climate crisis, what it means to be a person, and oppression. Rachel is a lecturer in philosophy, a science fiction author, and a poet. Their writing has been published by Arlen House, The Liminal Review, Sonder Magazine, and Poetry Ireland, among others. Alongside their teaching in philosophy, they often teach creative writing. Most recently, they facilitated a workshop at York Literature Festival. The poster includes logos for Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Central Library, the British Philosohical Association, The University of Liverpool, and #philosophymatters For enquiries, contact Tom Bunyard at t.bunyard@liverpool.ac.uk
Photo of Albert dock st night. There is a cresent moon hanging in the blue-blavk sky. The dock is reflected in the water below.
Poster reads: Writing Philosophical Fiction: A Creative Writing Workshop with Dr Rachel Handley, when: wednesday 25th march, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Saturday 28th March, 1 pm to 3 pm. Where: Liverpool Central Library (Hornby Library). All welcome! All you need is a pen and paper. For enquiries, contact Tom Bunyard at t.bunyard@liverpool.ac.uk Logos of liverpool city council, liverpool central library, the british philosophical association, university of Liverpool, and #philosophymatters appear on the bottom of the poster.
A small ornament of Athena's owl sitting in front of a blue plant pot on a windowshelf.
A poster for an event at York Literature Festival. The poster reads: Let's Get Philosophical: Writing Philosophical Fiction, Friday 6th March, 2 pm, York Medical Society, Stonegate, York. Creative writing workshop led by Rachel Handley. There is a photo of the author who has short brown hair, glasses, and is wearing a green jumper. The cover of their book, Possible Worlds and Other Stories is pictured to the right of their author photo. In the background of the poster is a photo of the York shambles on a rainy but lovely day.
A poster for an event at York Literature Festival. The text reads: "Let's get philosophical, writing philosophical fiction with Rachel Handley, 6th March, 2 pm to 4 pm, York Medical Society". The background of the poster is of a pile of books stacked on top of one another.
Strong Women Strange Worlds presents First Friday QuickReads of Sci Fi, Fantasy, and Horror by Gita Ralleigh Lisa Morton Minerva Cerridwen Melissa Widmaier Rachel Handley Victoria Goddard February 6, 12 noon EST Free On Zoom
A poster for an event at York Literature Festival. The text reads: "Let's get philosophical, writing philosophical fiction with Rachel Handley, 6th March, 2 pm to 4 pm, York Medical Society". The background of the poster is of a pile of books stacked on top of one another.
A chicken shaped dish for a teabag and teaspoon.
Poster for Possible Worlds and Other Stories by Rachel Handley. Around the book are short pieces of text with arrows pointing to the book cover. The pieces, going clockwise, say: Invaders from outerspace, the final judgement, a world made entirely of crabs, dystopia, friendship, greed, and death, corrupt angels, a sentinet spaceship.
A blonde person wearing black signing copies of their book in a bookstore. They are pouting in order to look silly.
A non-binary person with a dark green jumper on. They are looking at the camera. They have short brown hair and brown eyes.
Someone is holding a round startled looking guinea pig. The text at the top reads: This is who you hurt when you're mean to me. The text at the bottom reads: This guy is also sad about you not buying Possible Worlds and Other Stories yet.
Pumpy the pumpkin. A large smiling plush pumpkin with thin arms and legs sitting on some books.
A small lemon tree in a grey pot on a white windowsil. A small flat cactus on the same windowsil.
Poster showing a pink/red octopus with a cute face. The background is a white and blue water cartoon-like graphic. The text reads: Would you walk away from Omelas? An Ursula Le Guin Themed Creative Writing Workshop, 11th October, 4 pm, online. In this workshop, led by science fiction writer, poet, and philosophy lecturer Dr Rachel Handley, you will be invited to explore Le Guin's short stories and related themes. There will be opportunities to respond to writing prompts based on Le Guin's and other's work throughout the workshop. The workshop will be very interactive, and writers at all levels are very welcome to attend. You'll also have the chance to read out what you've written during the workshop.
A statue of Hemmingway holding a copy of Possible Worlds and Other Stories.
A ginger cat (left) and a tuxedo cat (right) sleeping on the couch.
A round ginger cat curled up into a ball sleeping on the bed.
A tuxedo cat photographed on a soda cushion looking out to the right.
Tibbles (ginger cat) and Mogs (tuxedo cat on the left) both snoozing on a cosy looking couch.
A black and white cat sleeping on a duvet.
A cosy living room with two couches, a book case, a plant and a tall lamp. In the background you can see a door opening onto a garden. In the foreground you can see Tibbles the orange cat napping on the couch to the right.
A plump fluffy ginger cat being stroked.
A non-binary person with a fade.
Five people each standing and siling next to alpacas in a field.
A non-binary person running a creative writing workshop. They are sitting behind a desk with their laptop open.
A non-binary person holding up their book Possible Worlds and Other Stories between two full shelves of books.
A non-binary person with short hair.
Damian (@bridgo.bsky.social) writes, "Happy Birthday Rachel, on holiday reading Possible Worlds. It's brilliant, and full of ideas. Have a great day. "
A non-binary person reading poetry from printed sheets of paper at Street 66, Dublin.
Poster for Poems for Palestine. Sponsored by conscious connections and queers for palestine. Two featured poets are on the poster. The first is Sarah Clancy, described as a poet, activist and community development worker, based in Clare. The second is Rachel Handley, described as a poet, science fiction author, and academic based in Dublin. All of the funds raised will be donated to Irish Visual Artists for Gaza. The event will take place on thursday 12th June, 7 pm at Street 66. Tickets are available on Geek Tickets, or you can scan the QR code.
A Soft Reckoning I can sink into the fresh heart of it just as you do. A soft reckoning. An easy vibration so small that it takes years to sing from your body to mine. For you to notice that we are not in the same place. That when I try to move, my whole soul flies up, eating freedom under wing, feeling the soft heat of the sun. Having to say nothing more than hello. A bone attempts escape and your mouth tells me I am not made well like you, I am frayed edges yet you are the one bitten, and brought, burnt, back to the earth.
A copy of Possible Worlds and Other Stories in Books Upstairs on a shelf.
A photo of an apple orchard in the sunshine. The sky is clear and blue.
A non-binary person with short brown hair , a green shirt, and round glasses smiling at the camera. In the background, there is a bookshelf full of books.
A non-binary person holding up their book Possible Worlds and Other Stories in front of a shelf of other books.
Main slide reads: horror writing workshop, 7.4.25 Dr Rachel Handley. Preview slides to the left are very small, but one clearly shows a picture of vampire teeth. Another shows Pale Man from Pan's Labyrinth.
Free Rachel Handley The pain in half my body sings to the skin of the other. Our walking like this, one-armed, as if a kind of nature. I watch a woman hold her bag taught around her shoulder, knuckles white and crisp like bones walking lopsided, though thinking in all directions. One arm still, a half-body surprised early by its task of slung weight.
A non-binary person with short hair.
The cover of Possible Worlds and Other Stories by Rachel Handley. A background of starlight. A doorway full of glowing orbs. If you look close enough at the orbs, you can see galaxies.
Pride Poets Poster which reads: Pride Poets Rachel Handley Rachel Handley is a poet, science fiction author, and academic based in Dublin, Ireland. Their writing has been published by Arlen House, The Liminial Review, Sonder Magazine, and Poetry Ireland, among others. Their debut short story collection, Possible Worlds and Other Stories, was published in 2022. In 2023 their short story, The Sound, was longlisted for the BSFA Awards. In 2022 their poem, Dear Daughter, was shortlisted for the Dublin South Libraries Poetry Prize. Followed by an Open Mic Tuesday, 25th March, 2025 7 - 9 pm Street 66 33 Parliment St, DO2YP97 There is a photo of Rachel to the side of the poster of them in a checked black and brown coat holding up a copy of Possible Worlds and Other Stories.
A book cover depicting many people seated at a table enjoying a feast. The text says "Washing Windows V" and at the bottom is an icon for Arlen House.
A slide which reads "Today" with a list of authors underneath, "Asimov, Le Guin, Helen De Cruz, Rachel Handley, a dash of Tolkien".
Shiny rainbow awesome-fork
A book entitled "Eat The Ones You Love", a book mark witht he same text, a short letter to the reader about the book, and a shiny pink, blue, and yellow fork with "eat the ones you love printed on it".
Frog by Matsumoto Hoji, woodblock print, endo period, 1814.
Whither away, brisk egg?
Me in a black t shirt with headphones on sitting in my office holding up a book called "Thank you for calling the lesbian line: A hidden history of queer women" by Elizabeth Lovat
Athena's owl tattoo feat. olive branch - the eyes are a startling light blue, the rest of the tattoo is a very intricately shaded grey.
Keeping track of the World-Doors was my duty for a century. It was one of the few lifer jobs left. Every Wednesday a new World-Door opened for a few seconds, spewed out some dust, then closed with a firm clap.
A book on a blanket which reads "Vanessa Bell A World of Form and Colour". The cover image is a painting of three women by Bell picturing three women in deep conversation. Two wear hats, one has her red hair out and gesticulates as if she is expressing the freedom the other two women could have if they wanted it.
Me in a green jumper which has an embroidered frog, crescent moon, and mushrooms on it.
A The Good Place screenshot where Michael says to Chidi (a moral philosophy professor) "this is why everyone hates moral philosophy professors".
This is Where Our Love Lives RACHEL HANDLEY This is where our love lives; our code within Hidden gestures that command. Our lips fold And place meaning on the breath, a snatched look. Only strangers use words, we think, we hold Names tight on our tongues, we lap up our flesh. I wish, sometimes, that you would call me by My proper name- the worldly one, a broad And unlatched thing. To others, that name could Contain any meaning, I would be a Countless soul. Free, but faceless. Under a Wave of others just like me. Our code brings Me to the surface. Memories point to Our lodestar, cutting through the current, chop Slice. I am found anew under our milk Sky. A smile, your hands, we begin again.