Rachel M. Wilson


Rachel M. Wilson

Rachel M. Wilson studied theater at Northwestern and received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut novel Don't Touch, about a girl with obsessive compulsive disorder, came out from HarperTeen in September 2014. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books called it: "A vulnerable, moving, and often witty story about the terrible price of self-protection." Also look for “The Game of Boys and Monsters,” an eerie standalone short from HarperTeen Impulse. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Rachel now writes, acts, and teaches in Chicago, Illinois.


Author of our Honor Roll pick(s)

Cover for Don’t Touch

Don’t Touch

by Rachel M. Wilson
HarperCollins - 2014

A complicated friendship, budding romance, and theater drama – and one teen girl's authentically depicted struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Blog contributions

May 19, 2015
Comments: 6

Discussion: The Challenges of Writing About Mental Illness

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Writing about characters with mental illness can be challenging in various ways. How do you accurately convey a character’s state of mind, without compromising on clarity or excitement? How do you show a character’s skewed perceptions of the world?

Photo of Rachel M. Wilson
July 28, 2014
Comments: 14

Interview with Rachel M. Wilson about Don’t Touch

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Don’t Touch is an insightful look into the life of a girl with OCD, and we were delighted to interview author Rachel M. Wilson about this wonderful debut.