Writing that helps institutions think
Fish, Ink is the practice of Patrick — a writer, editor, researcher and higher-education consultant, with a particular focus on South African universities, leadership development, institutional strategy and public communication.
My work sits at the point where careful research, clear writing and sector understanding come together: helping organisations turn complex ideas, events and institutional processes into documents that are readable, useful and strategically focused.
Much of my recent work has been with universities, higher-education organisations and leadership-development initiatives. I write annual reports, conference reports, strategy documents, opinion pieces, media articles, speeches, briefing notes, concept papers and programme materials — and I do the quieter, often harder work of making sense of discussions, interviews, workshops and institutional processes, and turning them into coherent reports that capture both the detail and the larger story.
I began in publishing and writing, moved into advocacy and communications in the higher-education sector, and have since worked across research, consultancy, report-writing, communication strategy, curriculum development and web content. I'm interested in writing that is thoughtful without being inflated, persuasive without being pompous, and analytical without becoming unreadable.
At the centre of my practice is a simple belief: good writing helps organisations think better.
For several years I've worked closely with HELM, an initiative of Universities South Africa — advocacy and communication support, strategic writing, programme documentation, reports, brochures, posters and web copy across the university leadership sector.
Written & edited for
- Universities South Africa
- Higher Education South Africa
- HELM (Higher Education Leadership & Management)
- University of the Witwatersrand
- Nelson Mandela University
- UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership
- Rosebank College
HELM programmes
Patrick Fish
Writer & Higher-Education Consultant · MA English Literature
I also have long-standing experience in HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health education and youth facilitation — working as part of expert teams developing HIV-prevention curricula, facilitator manuals, mentor guides, brochures, posters, websites and online learning resources. That included designing and populating a learning management system that enabled hundreds of youth facilitators across South Africa to complete structured training during the early days of Covid-19.
Alongside writing and research, I bring strong skills in editing, layout, publication planning, stakeholder communication and project documentation. I work independently, with absolute confidentiality, and from recordings, interviews, notes, workshops, strategy sessions and incomplete drafts. Where a job needs design, layout or a website, I bring in trusted partners.
Have something to say? Let's make sure it's understood.
Tell me what you're working on. I'll give you an honest view of how I can help — and what it takes to get it done.