Caitlin Smith is a third-year Creative Writing student at Massey University, born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Aotearoa, as one of six siblings. She is slowly chipping away at her first novel, and often caught in the familiar writer’s cycle of 'it could be better.' For Caitlin, this is why reading the work of others feels like such a retreat—a chance to step into a fresh canvas where curiosity and meaning can unfold in unexpected ways.