I studied languages at university, and after a few other adventures I spent 20 years in the Australian parliament and public service managing public inquiries and researching, writing and editing in a variety of genres, including major policy-developing reports, briefings, speeches and media releases.

I retrained to focus on editing in 2014. I’m an accredited professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors (Australia). Read more about IPEd accreditation here.

My special interests are interpreting complex subjects in a concise, accessible style for non-expert readers, and helping students whose native language is not English.

I’ve had long experience on both sides of the policy-making table: writing things to inform or persuade other people, and reading the submissions of people who wanted to inform or persuade me. You can read my tips on how to write a persuasive submission to government.