I love putting words to work – and listening to the music they make.
I spent 25 years as a journalist, editing for newspapers in New Zealand, London and Paris.
I’m also a poet. I’ve twice won New Zealand’s national award for a poetry collection.
In Paris, working on the opinion pages at the International Herald Tribune, I saw international organizations with crucial remits – improving people’s lives, boosting prosperity – struggle to tell their stories.
Intrigued by this disconnect, I jumped the fence, becoming an editor, writer and trainer for organizations that are trying to make the world a better place.
I love helping global agencies convey their vital messages and stories. That’s why, as well as editing and writing, I began to give writing skills courses with a “reader-centred” approach.
Since 2013, I’ve led more than 400 writing workshops, mostly in Europe and Africa, for UN agencies, NGOs, think tanks, foundations and multilateral development banks.
"Andrew’s workshop provided me with powerful tools to increase the impact of my professional (and personal!) writing. I really enjoyed his teaching style and found the entire course engaging."
"The training was practical, informative and tailored to what we need as reporters in UN agencies."
"One of the key takeaways from the workshop was simply a set of practical tools that I can use in my everyday work. Especially, how I can improve the clarity and succinctness of different types of texts."
"Out of all the courses I have done, Andrew’s has had the highest impact on my career as a policy-oriented researcher."
"Andrew showed me how to write in language that is easily understood by everyone, both within and outside the humanitarian sector, while still sounding professional."
"Andrew can pick up a rough first draft, turn it into a compelling narrative and polish the language so that the key messages shine out clearly and strongly. He combines a sound grasp of development issues with a journalist’s instinct for conveying them vividly to a wide audience."
"The workshop was practical and interactive, which helped me retain all the knowledge I gained during the day."
Andrew Johnston
Trainer, editor and writer