About Me

When I was eight, I won a writing competition in New Zealand's national Sunday broadsheet (ironically, the same one I now scribble for). The judge said my short story "showed promise".

So I'm not sure why I thought studying law was a good idea. That, as you can imagine, lasted five minutes. Which is as it should be.

Instead, I swapped out the LLB for a BA in English Lit, and chased that with a journalism qualification from Auckland University.  

Since then, I've written about everything from politics to soft furnishings and fashion to currency rates.  

I also spent five years working for the BBC in London, a year for TVNZ in Auckland and another for the NZ Press Association in the world's southernmost capital city (represent, Wellington).

I'm happiest writing profiles of interesting people, interiors (I LOVE nosing around other people's houses), personal essays (who doesn't love writing about themselves?) and travel. A couple of years back, I won the Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year Award and since then, I've been lucky enough to nail lots of lovely media jaunts around the globe.      
I'm also a frequent visitor to the 'dark' side of PR and copywriting. But with every comms strategy I write, and every piece of corporate copy I edit, I get a little closer to the dream of escaping to a wee place by sea.   .  

I'm addicted to green tea, collecting stamps in my passport and running (aka dragging my sorry butt around the Wellington waterfront). But nothing comes close to my love for my two boys - the furry one (Bristol) and the upright one, Martin (aka the Animator). 

If you're in the market for compelling, concise copy that cuts through like no other, I'm your girl.

​Contact me on sharon.stephenson2@gmail.com

What they're saying about me.... 

"Sharon's byline starting popping up in North & South magazine five or six years ago - at the "front of the book", with smart, snappy Four Corners stories and he back, where her original, evocative travel writing bounced off the page. She then pitched profiles, columns and first-person pieces that made you laugh, smile with recognition and sometimes pretend to have grit in your eye when you reached for a tissue. Sharon's insightful, authentic prose always made you feel something. Suddenly she was one of our go-to freelance feature writers, who could also be relied upon to deliver on time and to the brief. Was it a big step to her first multi-interview, research-heavy cover story? I had faith, and if she had doubts she didn't let them hold her back. Before Bauer Media closed in April 2020, Sharon had produced a clutch of excellent, long-form, social issues features, including a couple of top-selling cover stories. She was one of our most talented, versatile writers - and a joy to work with. It's as simple as that."​
Virginia Larson, former Editor, North & South (now editor of Kia Ora Magazine)



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Sharon was one of my go-to freelance writers for Kia Ora. Her work was always spot-on and I commissioned her for travel stories, restaurant reviews, culture and business features, all of which she delivered with aplomb. Her writing style suited the magazine - intelligent, insightful and a clever turn of phrase. She also saved our bacon on several occasions when I needed a story filed urgently, for which I'm eternally grateful!​
Jacqui Loates-Haver, former editor of Kia Ora Magazine, now editor of The Life, Business Desk

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Publications

• North & South Magazine
• Kia Ora (Air NZ inflight magazine) 
• Woman Magazine
• Sunday Star Times/Sunday Mag
• NZ House & Garden
• DISH Magazine
• Your Weekend Magazine
• NZ Life & Leisure
• Canvas Magazine
• Haven Magazine
.

Awards

• 2013 Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year
•  Category wins in the Cathay Pacific Travel Writing Awards every year since 2009
• North & South Magazine - Places in the Heart Winner 2012

Copywriting Clients

• Air New Zealand
• Antipodes Nature
• Trade Me
• Xero
• Honda
• ANZ
• Rodd & Gunn
• NZ Post