I first met Caroline when I attended a poetry writing workshop held at the University of Otago. Following on from that, later in the year, Caroline offered another intermediate level poetry writing workshop, which I also attended. Both of these courses were extremely well organised and enjoyable with a satisfying balance of teaching, writing, reading, and critiquing. The intermediate course included a course reader of sample poems, based on seasonal themes, which had wide appeal to the participants. Earlier this year I enrolled in a University of Otago summer school on fiction writing. The course reader was invaluable not only during class but also afterwards to consolidate the teaching/learning points. Caroline designed each of these three courses and was able to cover a wealth of material due, in part, to her smooth organisation and, in part, to her familiarity with the course content. More recently I have enjoyed the opportunity to participate in small group writing tutorials led by Caroline. Her positive energy and affirmations have re-vitalised my flagging writing spirits. Her wisdom and insight is enormously valuable in the process of editing and rewriting, and her mentoring approach is helping me hone my craft and grow more confident in my own fiction writing ability.

Caroline is a skilled and professional tutor. Underpinning the depth and breadth of her scholarship is her own successful experience and understanding of the writing process. With it she combines a natural grace and dignity that enables her to engage with a broad spectrum of students, their needs and their unique writing projects, whether poets, playwrights, novelists or short story writers. Caroline is an astute observer and a creative listener who not only hears what her students are saying – she has remarkable recall – but also responds with focused attention to the issues an individual writer may raise, while still holding the interest of the group. She is ever ready to answer simple or complex questions about writing and to encourage more probing enquiry; she offers suggestions and introduces students to literary models of how they might approach and solve personal writing challenges; she always treats students’ work, however raw, with respect and often recommends further sources of relevant reading. And to ameliorate any daunting prospects that might be associated with completing a body of work, she helps students set achievable goals along the way. Aspiring writers can only benefit from a tutor with Caroline’s gentle humour, perspicacity and sound facilitation skills.