Welcome! I’m Kahina.
I’m an editor and writing coach – and according to one client, ‘literary Gandalf’ – of fantasy and historical fiction, specialising in fiction with ancient-world elements.
My love of fantasy and historical fiction started early. I grew up on American Girl, Dear America, WWII novels, and anything I could find about queens and princesses, ancient and fantastical. That early passion never went away – it simply deepened into a lifelong interest in how humanity’s deepest past and modern storytelling come together.
I’m particularly fascinated by how the ancient world challenges modern assumptions about belief, power, and meaning and by the role fiction plays in helping readers imagine those different lives and worldviews.
For the past decade, I’ve worked as a developmental editor, line editor, and copyeditor, as well as a writing coach and tutor. I studied linguistics and Japanese at the University of Florida, trained in book publishing at NYU and Oxford Brookes University, and have completed professional courses in editing.
Originally from the US, I’ve lived on three continents –spending years in Japan before settling in the UK with my partner and mountains of books.
My particular historical interest is the ancient Near East, but I also work across historical fiction and fantasy more broadly.
What I enjoy most about this work is using universal storytelling principles to help writers connect with readers through stories that help us remember and reimagine how humans can live, think, and make meaning in so many different ways.
My core values
Craftsmanship
I believe storytelling is a craft. Inspiration and deep feeling may start a book, but they can’t sustain one. Writing a novel also requires intelligent decision-making, practised technique, and creative problem-solving – intuition, intellect, and emotion working together.
My work focuses on helping authors understand what their story is actually doing and how to execute it more deliberately. While I’m happy to offer motivational and confidence-building support when needed, in my experience, authentic confidence comes from competence and growth: learning the craft, understanding your story, and seeing your intentions match what’s on the page.
Clarity
I value clarity out of respect for authors and for readers. I don’t give authors vague advice or abstract commentary. Instead, I explain how craft principles apply to their specific material and offer concrete, actionable recommendations, with plenty of example solutions where appropriate.
Valuing clarity also means I challenge the authors I work with to be crystal-clear in their storytelling. If readers have to struggle to understand what’s happening or why it matters, I consider that a problem to be fixed, not a sign of sophistication, even when the prose is beautiful.
Honesty
Reassurance that obscures real problems does more harm than good. As an editor, I take seriously the responsibility to be objective and truthful while there’s still time for the author to act on feedback. My support is candid, reasoned, and grounded in the work itself – not in what’s easiest to hear.
Empathy
Empathy, for me, means editing in service of the author’s vision rather than imposing my own. I work to understand what the story is trying to be, even when the current draft hasn’t fully realised that yet. It also means delivering rigorous feedback with care and respect. Precision and compassion aren’t opposites; they’re most effective together. I know how scary it can be to hand your work to someone else and don’t take that lightly.
Some fun facts about me
I’m a writer, too! My current project is my first nonfiction one: a book about The Chronicles of Narnia’s Queen Jadis (the White Witch), with a focus on her links to ancient history.
The Mesopotamian goddess Inanna-Ishtar is a special interest of mine. You can read some of my thoughts on her here.
I’m an INTJ (MBTI) and a 5w4 (Enneagram). If personality typology means something to you, we’ll have a lot to talk about. If it doesn’t, don’t worry – I won’t type your characters unless you ask!