It is with profound sadness that Rochford Street Review shares the news that Narelle Adair Coxhead passed away on Saturday 19 September 2026 after a long illness. Not only a wonderful visual artist and designer, Narelle was close family of the Review’s editors – Linda Adair’s beloved  only sibling and Mark Roberts’ sister-in-law. She is survived by her husband Christopher Connolly and their daughter Rachael Adair Connolly and will be greatly missed by all the extended family, her longtime friends, and colleagues for her loyalty, warmth, intelligence and wit.

Narelle was a talented artist and graphic designer who was the featured artist in issue 11 (https://rochfordstreetreview.com/2014/06/04/issue-11-march-may-2014/). Over the years she has been central to the work of both the Review and Rochford Press as well as the independent cultural community. Her contribution as a book designer was significant. Her cover image for Linda Adair’s The Unintended Consequences of the Shattering added to the overall impact of the collection whilst her cover designs for Mark Roberts’ Concrete Flamingos, Rae Desmond Jones’ The End of the Line, Stevie-Lee Alver’s Cactus, P76 Issue 6 (The Lost Issue) as well as her layout of Jane Skelton’s Chimera and Juan Garrido Salgado’s When I was Clandestine, among others, are testaments to her talent and ability. In recent years Narelle also worked on a number of Island Press titles for Phil Hammial. Aside from this output she carried out private  commissions and created a myriad of her own sought after surface designs for textiles and home wares.

Issue 45 of Rochford Street Review, which will begin loading over the coming week, will be dedicated to Narelle Adair Coxhead and will feature a retrospective of aspects of her work.