Rachael Boast

Rachael Boast (born 1975) is a British poet. She has published four poetry collections: Sidereal (2011), Pilgrim's Flower (2013), Void Studies (2016) and Hotel Raphael (2021).

Biography
Rachael Boast was born in Suffolk in 1975. She graduated from University of Wolverhampton, studying English and Philosophy. After graduation, she moved to the West Country for ten years.

In 2005, Boast moved to Scotland to work on an MLit in Creative Writing at University of St Andrews She later was awarded a PhD, her thesis being "an examination of poetic technique with reference to The Book of Job." Boast's literary role models include: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Arthur Rimbaud, and poet, artist, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau.

Boast published her first poetry collection, Sidereal, in 2011, her second collection, Pilgrim's Flower, in 2013, her third collection, Void Studies, in 2016, and her fourth, Hotel Raphael, in 2021. Her work was published by Picador Books. Boast's poetry has appeared in literary magazines, including Archipelago, New Statesman and The Yellow Nib. Her work has also appeared in the anthologies Stolen Weather (Castle House Press), The Captain’s Tower: Seventy Poets Celebrate Bob Dylan at Seventy (Seren), and Addicted to Brightness (Long Lunch Press).

Boast spends her time in both Scotland and the West Country.

Poetry collections

 * Sidereal, Picador Books, (2011)
 * Pilgrim's Flower, Picador Books, (2013)
 * Void Studies, Picador Books, (2016)
 * Hotel Raphael, Picador Books, (2021)

Awards

 * (2011) Forward Prize for best first collection.
 * (2012) Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry Prize for best first collection.
 * (2014) Griffin Poetry Prize shortlist for Pilgrim's Flower
 * (2015) Bristol Poetry Prize for poem Belle Époque
 * (2016) T. S. Eliot Prize shortlist for Void Studies