For Karen, Cape Town is a city shaped by layers. History, migration, neighbourhoods and food all existing at the same time, influencing one another.

Through The Kitchen in Woodstock, she became part of a moment when the area was redefining itself through creativity and independent businesses. Her work has always been closely tied to people, conversation and the idea that food carries memory.

In her latest book called Upwards, she turns inward, reflecting resilience and the realities of living and creating in South Africa. It adds another layer to how she sees Cape Town, not just as a place, but as an ongoing dialogue between past and present.