Hi, I’m India Hendrikse – a Journalist & Copywriter from Aotearoa New Zealand

With a good writer in its field, even a blade of grass can compel and excite.

Firstly, at the heart of all good writing is curiosity. A desire to find authenticity, truth and meaning. This was why I decided to study journalism and is the reason that a decade on, I’m still finding joy and fulfilment in writing. 

My scope is open-ended.

As an Aotearoa New Zealand copywriter, journalist and brand storyteller, I aim to make work that adds good to the world. Whether it’s through an article that uncovers a captivating story, a brand campaign that shares a helpful product, or content creation that strikes a chord with the right person, I write things that create impact. Importantly, I’m equally adept at handling big issues as well as lighthearted ones – and will expertly bring depth, humour or both to the work I create. 

From a career that began working for some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest magazines at Bauer Media – including Metro, North & South, Air New Zealand’s KiaOra and the discontinued (but forever wonderful) Paperboy – to moving to London and diving into copywriting and content creation work, to now working remotely as both a journalist and copywriter for wonderful brands and widely-read titles, my work has been diverse, but always purpose-driven.

As a freelance journalist, I am the sub-editor and a regular features writer for fashion magazine Puss Puss. Additionally, I have written for The Spinoff, The Independent, OhBaby, Woman’s Day, Woman, Island, New and The New Zealand Herald’s Viva. 

As a copywriter, I’ve worked for Swedish oat milk brand Oatly, New Zealand creative agency Daylight Creative (with the work including Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Kiwibank, WHO, The Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre), ethical coffee company Kokako, UK-based CBD oil brand CBD One, American infusion device brand LEVO Oil, sustainable children’s shoes brand Bobux and vegan supplements brand The September Project. 

I’m values-led

Ultimately, my focus on the ethical, the sustainable and the meaningful is how I decide who to work with. There’s already too many ‘things’ in the world, and I hope to tread as lightly as is practical on our planet. I have a deep passion for environmentalism and animal rights and this, alongside mental health awareness, feminism and social justice underpins everything that I do.

I live by the ocean

Currently, I live in a small town in Aotearoa New Zealand, where I write in a converted shipping container and pet strangers’ dogs in my work breaks.