Barbara Radecki started her career as an actor, and was probably best known for voicing Sailor Neptune in the original English dub of the popular Sailor Moon series. She transitioned to writing, with a focus on full-length fiction and screenplays. She co-wrote a modern adaptation screenplay of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, which is now a film starring Alicia Witt and Bebe Neuwirth.
Her debut novel, The Darkhouse, came out to acclaim in 2016/17, including a Kirkus star and a spot on CBC’s 15 Great Reads for Young Readers (1 of 5 for YA). In 2017, she was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. Her second novel, Messenger 93, came out April 2020, and is a CBC Books pick, as well as a pick by the Forest of Reading, Red Maple, Kids Committee.
A message from Barbara: Hi! Here’s a little more context. I was born in North Vancouver and lived in the shadows of the mountains for my first five years before our family relocated to Ontario and then to Montreal. I went to University of Windsor, received my BFA in Acting, and ran with that to Toronto where I would establish a film and television career. I am now based in Toronto with my husband and our adorable furball pup. We have two brilliant daughters carving their own paths in the world. I am an avid theatregoer, improv-apprentice, Blue Jays fan, and dedicated hiker. I’m also an instructor at University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies in the Creative Writing program. My course, Mapping Your Story, is a chance for me to distill and share years of accumulated and hard-learned lessons on how to craft story. I am abundantly grateful for any moments in a day when I get to quietly research, develop, edit, and write my stories.
