'Karina Hepner has been teaching English for over 20 years. After graduating from Queensland University of Technology, she spent a year in Dijon, France, as “une assistante en anglais” in French middle schools. Upon her return to Australia, she taught in English and Humanities. In 1999, she took a position as a French Immersion and French language teacher in Canadian public schools. However, her role as an English 12 and English Literature 12 teacher in Vancouver cemented her belief in the intrinsic value of literature in young people’s lives. She teaches in Queensland, and recently completed an MA in English Literature.' (Source : Free Mind : Essays and Poems in Honour of Barry Spurr)