Karin Schimke is a widely published journalist and columnist, and the Cape Times books editor. She also works as a writing tutor and mentor, an author of non-fiction - including the best-selling Fabulously Forty and Beyond, co-written with Margie Orford - of children's books and of short stories. She edited Open, an anthology of erotic short stories written by some of South Africa's best known women writers. Her poetry has appeared in South Africa Writing, New Contrast, New Coin and Carapace magazines. Bare and Breaking is her first collection of poems.