Sutherland Studios

Words + images by Denise Sutherland

What we do

Books stacked

Denise doesn't just write books, she also writes all sorts of articles.

word search puzzle

Download heaps of free puzzles by Denise to use at home or in your classroom, and get your own PDF book of Secret Shapes.

Cryptic crossword

Cryptic crosswords are an entirely insane variety of crossword.

Denise Sutherland
 

Denise Sutherland

Denise has been a graphic designer since 1988. She is also an author, enigmatologist (someone who writes puzzles), artist, editor, and indexer. Over the years, she has written and designed puzzles of all varieties, written books, edited all kinds of documents, indexed books and annual reports, created artworks, designed and managed websites, and taught web design. She also enjoys watercolour painting. She lives in Canberra, Australia.

Denise shares her life with several humans, and Bobby the Budgie. You can find Bobby's videos over on Instagram, and budgie gifs at GIPHY.

Microphone
 

Interviews and such

An #IndexDay-themed cryptic crossword for National Indexing Day 2023, by Paula Clarke Bain, includes discussion about the index I wrote for Alan Connor's book Two Girls, One on Each Knee, 30 March 2023

Learn how to solve cryptic crosswords with Denise Sutherland, guest blog on the Booktopia blog, 22 March 2021

"Dumb luck? No way. The billion-dollar smarts of the 'For Dummies' empire", Tim Elliott, The Good Weekend magazine, 11 July 2020

To celebrate National Indexing Day on 29 March 2018, meet indexer and crossword creator Denise Sutherland, Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait, So you want to be a writer podcast, Episode 227, 19 March 2018

Crossword blog: compiling a cryptic crossword app, Alan Connor, the Guardian, 7 July 2014

Lesson 101: Cryptic crosswords, 666 ABC Canberra radio interview with Louise Maher, 31 August 2012

Photo by Lee Soo hyun on Unsplash