Rachel Hennessy was Dramaturg-in-Residence at the Australian National Playwrights' Centre for two years and Literary Manager at Sydney Theatre Company for three years. She worked as a Programmer at the Pleasance Theatre in London, as well as being a reader for the Bush Theatre.

Her own play SSWL was shortlisted for the Patrick White Playwrights' Award while THE BUTCHER TWINS received a Varuna/Playworks Fellowship and was shortlisted for the Australian National Playwrights' Conference.

Her short play SATURDAY, 3PM was performed at the Short'n'Sweet Festival in Sydney.

More recently, her first novel THE QUAKERS won the Unpublished Manuscript Award and was launched at Adelaide Writers' Week in March, 2008. She is currently writing her second novel.