Experience

Shackleton

• Retail Apparel and Fashion
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Project Manager and Curator

  • Dec 2020 - Present

  I organised the online festival Antarctica Now in January 2021, researching from scratch the most urgent issues about the continent and then identifying experts who could speak dynamically about those issues. After that I was asked to set up a new award, the Shackleton Medal for the Protection of the Polar Regions, networking with polar experts to establish an international panel of judges and devising a social-media strategy to raise awareness. The social media strategy comprised short films, podcasts and blog posts. Show less



Avaunt Magazine

• London

• Editor

  • May 2019 - Jul 2020

  Avaunt involved everything from flying to the Arctic to interviewing formidable female chess players, from investigating the hazards of sharing genomic data to talking to Michael Ignatieff about fighting for freedom of speech in Hungary. We prided ourselves on working with the best writers, designers and photographers to document extraordinary stories that fall outside mainstream journalism. https://avauntmagazine.com/ Avaunt involved everything from flying to the Arctic to interviewing formidable female chess players, from investigating the hazards of sharing genomic data to talking to Michael Ignatieff about fighting for freedom of speech in Hungary. We prided ourselves on working with the best writers, designers and photographers to document extraordinary stories that fall outside mainstream journalism. https://avauntmagazine.com/



Writer and Editor

• United States
• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Writer at Large

  • Mar 2012 - Oct 2017

  I conducted interviews with Gorbachev, Kissinger, Vaclav Havel, Imran Khan, Omar Sharif, Ciro Bustos - who fought alongside Che Guevara in Bolivia - and Yoko Ono. Beyond this I wrote about a wide range of subjects spanning politics, culture and foreign affairs for publications and websites including the FT, the Spectator and Prospect. After leaving Time Out in 2012 I balanced journalism with writing my first novel, The Optickal Illusion, which was published in 2018 by Duckworth and was shortlisted for the Historic Writers Association Debut Crown award. I wrote about Big Data and Emmanuel Macron for Prospect, I broke the story of the Front National's wooing of the gay vote for the Spectator, I covered the problems faced by UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura in Syria, and I've covered stories of Christian persecution in the Middle East. To see further examples of my work go to www.rachelhalliburton.net and follow me at @Hallibee1. Show less



Hurst Publishers (independent, non-fiction)

• Hurst Publishers, Time Out, Save the Children, Evening Standard

• Content Editor

  • Apr 2007 - Jul 2015

  Editing is as much of a passion as writing. To make a piece of writing read well feels like the equivalent of being a car mechanic tinkering with the engine of a car till it runs as fast and smoothly as possible. As well as editing political non-fiction books, I have edited reports and journalism, including case studies for Save the Children, news stories at the Evening Standard, and features at the Independent and Time Out. At Time Out I worked as Deputy Editor for five years (to 2012) with responsibility for planning, editing and producing both the weekly 120 page magazine (before it went free) and the publication's website. In addition, I oversaw the production of numerous special content projects, which involved major organisations including the Royal Opera House, Deloitte and the Mayor of London's Office with Boris Johnson. Show less



Evening Standard

• United Kingdom
• Newspaper Publishing
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Theatre columnist and critic

  • Apr 2000 - Mar 2007

  At the Evening Standard I wrote overnight reviews for four years. I also conducted major interviews with writers and performers including Athol Fugard, Steven Berkoff, Rufus Sewell, Michael Sheen and Helen McCrory. With Time Out I also reviewed and wrote features. At the Spectator I took over Toby Young's theatre column while he was on a break for five months. At the Evening Standard I wrote overnight reviews for four years. I also conducted major interviews with writers and performers including Athol Fugard, Steven Berkoff, Rufus Sewell, Michael Sheen and Helen McCrory. With Time Out I also reviewed and wrote features. At the Spectator I took over Toby Young's theatre column while he was on a break for five months.



Broadcast Commentator

• Co-writer, presenter and commentator

  • Jun 2003 - Jun 2003

  Developed, wrote and presented for BBC Radio 3 a programme investigating Peter Brook’s concept of ‘The Empty Space’ which included contributions from Robert Lepage and others. I also appeared on Sky News and the BBC World Service to discuss culture and the arts. Developed, wrote and presented for BBC Radio 3 a programme investigating Peter Brook’s concept of ‘The Empty Space’ which included contributions from Robert Lepage and others. I also appeared on Sky News and the BBC World Service to discuss culture and the arts.



The Perrier Awards Panel

• Judge

  • Aug 2001 - Aug 2001

  On the panel which selected Matthew Holness(Garth Marenghi's Dark Place) and Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Submarine) as the winners. On the panel which selected Matthew Holness(Garth Marenghi's Dark Place) and Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, Submarine) as the winners.



The Independent

• Features Writer

  • 1997 - 2000

  Interviews with William Dalrymple, philosopher Jonathan Ree, Barbara Gowdy, and Olivia De Havilland. Interviews with William Dalrymple, philosopher Jonathan Ree, Barbara Gowdy, and Olivia De Havilland.