Elizabeth O’Connor is a freelance Christchurch writer and director with special interest in the development of new New Zealand plays and films. She is the Court Theatre’s literary manager and works for Operate Trust (locally) and Playmarket (nation-wide), assisting playwrights and devisers with new works. Elizabeth writes and directs radio and stage plays with the Skillwise mixed ability drama group, is artistic director of the Crashbash scriptwriting competition, and revels in working with young writers and their ever-surprising imaginations and empathy. She plays music, writes stories and poetry and does arts journalism, academic editing and voice coaching on the side. Elizabeth holds both BA and MA degrees from the University of Canterbury.