Under her married name of Cheryl Hingley, Sawyer has published educational texts (e.g., Outsiders, 1973) and translated Extracts from the Journals Relating to the Visit to New Zealand of the French Ship St Jean Baptiste in December 1769 under the Command of J. F. M. de Surville (1982). Sawyer completed two Masters degrees with Honours, in both French and English literature, and has tutored in French language and literature at the University of Auckland. She has also been the Editorial Manager, Reading Series Reader's Digest (Australia) Pty Ltd. Her training as a publisher began with educational books in Auckland. She subsequently worked as a freelancer on a wide range of non-fiction and fiction, the highlight being her editing of The Bone People by Keri Hulme, which won the 1985 Booker Prize in the United Kingdom.
