It was a happy launch to the second instalment in the Violet and the Velvets series: The Case of the Angry Ghost. We headed along to Scorpio Books on Thursday night and enjoyed warm-hearted generous speeches, a wonderful "surprise entertainment" (Rachael played her song Angry Ghosts - it rocks), delicious nibbles, AND Violet and the Velvets-themed mocktails!
The Violet and the Velvets books are about a primary school girls’ punk band making their way through the BandChamps competition while solving mysteries. Violet is a guitar-toting, music-loving twelve-year-old with inattentive ADHD who dreams of competing in BandChamps. She persuades her loveable, rag-tag group of mates to make a band and give it a go.
First up we heard from Rachael's publisher Jenny Hellen from Allen & Unwin. She loved how the Violet books show the complexities of friendship, and how Rachael writes in such a non-preachy way.
"Violet is the heroine we all need."
Why? Because Violet is heaps of fun and bold - like her author. Violet makes mistakes, but she always puts things right.
Jenny says Rachael's writing goes from strength to strength, with The Grimmelings coming out last year, and two Violet books in 2025. Her next book The Song of the Saltings has just been edited, and will be published in both New Zealand, the USA, and the UK. This is a BIG DEAL.
Jenny talked about the amazing mahi Rachael does - travelling around the motu entertaining kids and turning them onto reading. Rachael walks the talk - a percentage of royalties from the Violet books go to Girls Rock! Aotearoa.
Rachael then took the mic and shared her gratitude to a mighty crew including:
- the team at Scorpio Books and Telling Tales
- WORD Christchurch
- Creative New Zealand
- illustrator Phoebe Morris
- the team at Allen & Unwin
- her writing buddies Claire Mabey, Rachael Craw, Leonie Agnew, and Tania Roxborogh
- music industry supporters
- Gemma Gracewood
- supporters of literature for kids - The Sapling, The Spinoff, Kete
- and especially her family
She told us how the book took shape, including the time when she went to Bandquest with her son and saw how few girls were in bands playing instruments. There were some girl singers, but even the awards for singing went to boys. And girls only got the Best-Dressed award 😬. More recently, Rachael went to Bandquest heats and spotted kids like the characters in her books - several Violets, a Lexie, and a Mo! And her book is getting into the hands of these cool kids.
Rachael read out this review of Violet on Good Reads:
Luckily for this reviewer - and us - there will be a book three and four!
Rachael's also chairing a session on Sunday 31 August 2.30pm: The Romance of Fantasy: Andrea Eames and Rachael Craw
Photos
More from Rachael
Find Rachael's books in our collection
The Case of the Angry Ghost: Violet and the Velvets Book 2
- Back in 2015, our Community Read was Magpie Hall by Rachael King
- A 2016 interview of Rachael, then Literary Director of WORD Christchurch
- Rachael talks libraries with us in 2017
- A report on Rachael's 2019 Cabinet of Curiosities talk about tattoos
- Ky's review of The Grimmelings
More about Rachael King
Rachael King is the author of four novels for children and two for adults. Red Rocks won the Esther Glen Medal in 2013 and was filmed for television as Secrets at Red Rocks, released on Sky/Neon in March this year. The Grimmelings (2024) has won or been shortlisted for several awards here and in the UK, and is being published internationally. Her new series, Violet and the Velvets, is inspired by her time as a teenage bass player. Rachael was also named Best Reviewer at the Voyager New Zealand Media Awards in 2023, received a Waitangi Day Honour Award for her work at WORD Christchurch in 2020, and was awarded this year’s Frank Sargeson Fellowship.
Visit Rachael's website
More WORD Christchurch
- Read our coverage of WORD Christchurch Festival 2025
- Check the WORD Christchurch website
- Follow WORD Christchurch on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok
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