A little local company is working with authors and publishers around the world from right here in Wanaka. 

Sisters Kimberley and Claire Davis are the duo behind Little Owl, which provides editing and writing services for a wide variety of clients. 

Distance from clients in the rural location hasn’t proven to be a problem, and the business has continued to tick over despite the effects of COVID-19. 

“We’ve been really fortunate,” Kimberley said. “We’re surprised by how busy we’ve been.

“We sort of hope for the best and plan for the worst.” 

Claire’s background is in communications and events and Kimberley’s in traditional publishing: they decided to pool resources under Little Owl.

“We found we have crossover skills that complement each other,” Claire said. 

The pair tend to tackle different parts of the projects they work on but come together for advice and to look over each other’s works. 

“It’s nice to have that inbuilt trust where you know you can trust the other person’s intentions,” Kimberley said. 

Little Owl has worked on a huge variety of books and publications: from Annabel Langbein’s recent memoir Bella: My Life in Food, to Husna’s Story by Farid Ahmed, survivor of the Christchurch mosque attack, and Not That I’d Kiss A Girl by Lil O’Brien. 

They both have a soft spot for children’s books too, and a long list of recent work in the children’s and young adults book category. 

“One of my favourites is working with authors on something that has been a really long-held project for them,” Kimberley said. “That’s really rewarding.”

“Especially when a project has been a really long time in the making,” Claire said. 

The pair both take their roles within the publishing industry seriously and care deeply about helping produce quality publications.

“There’s that feeling of social responsibility,” Kimberley said. “A book implies credibility.” 

“There are so many places you can access stories now, from books to Instagram,” Claire said. “As part of a wider industry we care about respecting the process. We’ve built a bit of a reputation for being sticklers.” 

Learn more about Little Owl here.

PHOTO: Jodie James