I met Caroline Lark in 2012 when I was a student at her poetry Summer School at the University of Otago. In subsequent years, in addition to attending further fiction, poetry and play writing schools, I worked with Caroline on my first novel, Navigator. This story, about a New Zealand Navigator in WW2, was inspired by a short piece written at the 2013 Summer School. Since I published Navigator in September, 2017, I have been working, with Caroline’s continued support and supervision, on a sequel (as yet untitled), which is nearing the end of its first draft.

The process of individual supervision with Caroline involves close editing of my manuscripts, comprehensive written reports, and meetings for discussion. My writing skills and confidence have developed significantly, as have my enjoyment of and commitment to writing.

In 2015, I was fortunate to be awarded a complete manuscript assessment under the NZSA programme, success due in no small part to Caroline’s professional and dedicated supervision.