ABOUT

Caroline Barron (Te Uri o Hau / Pākehā) is an award-winning author, presenter, and host of literary events. Her debut novel, Golden Days (Affirm Press, Australia / Hachette, New Zealand, 2023), was praised by Woman’s Day as ‘a riveting read that also acts as a nostalgic ode to growing up in Auckland in the ’90s.’ Her memoir, Ripiro Beach (Bateman Books, 2020), won the New Zealand Heritage Literary Award for Best Non-fiction Book. She is currently working on My Year of Rereading—a biblio-memoir and portrait of life, including long-term chronic back pain and surgery, building on the success of Ripiro Beach.

Caroline brings a ‘perfect blend of professionalism and charm’ to the stage—whether MCing high-profile events, appearing on podcasts, chairing festival panels, or leading dynamic writing workshops. With a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Auckland, a journalism degree, and a past life running Nova Models & Talent, one of New Zealand’s top agencies, she offers a rare combination of literary depth, polish, and show-stopping presence.

As an author, she has appeared at Auckland Writers Festival, WOMAD, Crimes on the Coast, Hamilton Book Month, NZSA Roadshows, Nelson Arts Festival, Queenstown Writers Festival, and in Australia at the Affirm Press Roadshows in Sydney and Melbourne.

She has been a columnist for North & South and her essays and features have appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK, The Guardian, Landfall, Awa Wahine, Next, and the New Zealand Herald.

Deeply embedded in Aotearoa’s literary community, Caroline was a board member for Michael King Writers Centre (2017–2021) and has worked for Auckland Writers Festival | Waituhi o Tāmaki as Acting Marketing and Development Manager. She has also served as a Creative New Zealand funding assessor and has judged regional and international writing competitions, as well as grant and residency applications.

In 2025, Caroline and her husband launched the Ripiro Beach Non-fiction Writing Residency in partnership with the University of Auckland.

For many years, Caroline worked as a manuscript assessor and story coach, both independently and through the New Zealand Society of Authors. Whilst she is no longer taking on new clients, this background informs her teaching and presenting, where she continues to support emerging writers through creative writing workshops and literary events.

Caroline resides between Auckland and Northland’s Ripiro Beach, with her husband and teenaged daughters.