Emily Draper

Writer

New Zealand

A writer with experience as a journalist, editor, copywriter and content marketer across the full gamut of private, public, and non-profit spheres. I am currently working as Deputy Editor for the most widely read magazine in New Zealand, AA Directions.

I am passionate about the power of storytelling. I believe in simplicity, clarity, and creativity - and a bit of humour where it works.

Outside of the 9-5, I love writing creatively: everything from dystopian sci-fi through to queer poetry. In 2022, I graduated from The Creative Hub's six-month novel writing intensive.

Scroll down for a selection of my work.

Let’s connect: [email protected].

References and more samples available upon request.

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Portfolio
AA Directions
03/31/2024
Q&A: Chris Tse, Poet Laureate

We talk to Chris Tse, New Zealand's Poet Laureate, appointed for a three-year tenure by the National Library of New Zealand to promote and advocate for poetry.

AA Directions
03/31/2024
Top Spot: Jesse Mulligan

Radio host and restaurant reviewer Jesse Mulligan shares his favourite place to visit in New Zealand.

AA Directions
03/31/2024
Sue Court, Equine Therapist

Sue Court is a counsellor who specialises in equine therapy, using horses to connect with people.

AA Traveller
02/15/2024
Explore Rotoroa Island

A brief travel guide for Rotoroa Island, a remarkable sanctuary only an hour away from downtown Auckland.

Pink Shirt Day - Mental Health Foundation
Tangaroa Paul: Finding belonging in Te Ao Māori as a gender fluid person | Pink Shirt Day

Tangaroa Paul is the kind of person who lights up a room just by walking in. With a huge smile and an infectious giggle, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Tangaroa's life has been non-stop sunshine and laughter. However, dig a little deeper, and you'll find that Tangaroa's journey has been anything but straightforward.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
How fashion reflects the changing fabric of our world | The Research Agency

From the latest designer catwalk, to A-list celebrities on the red carpet, to exclusive streetwear drops, fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry. Splashed all over our magazines, TV screens and social media feeds, fashion is a universal talking-point. But what are we really talking about when we talk about fashion?

Pink Shirt Day - Mental Health Foundation
Nicola Frater | Pink Shirt Day

Nicola Frater is a multi-faceted woman. She is a loving parent to three adult children. She is a person of faith, having spent decades serving her community as an Anglican Priest. And, she is a transgender woman - an identity she is only recently embracing as her own.

B&T
11/27/2022
Bask In The Warmth Of Sweet, Sweet Social Media Insights This Summer - B&T

It's late November. The sun is shining, the BBQs are sizzling, Michael Bublé has finished defrosting and is crooning Jingle Bells loud and clear over the Woolies speakers. You should be out buying last-minute gifts, planning Christmas day feasts, and getting in the spirit of the silly season.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
Psychological safety in a hyper-filtered world | The Research Agency

In the early days of the internet, anything was possible. Logged in via metre-long dial-up cords connected to the landline, we 'surfed the net' like wide-eyed toddlers, blinking up at the bright screen with wonder and trust. We shared our deepest secrets and most embarrassing moments without hesitation, oblivious to the potential consequences.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
How brands are tapping into wellness culture | The Research Agency

The pandemic created a shift in what we value. Now more than ever, we are placing more importance on our health and wellbeing. With this renewed focus, more of us are turning to businesses and organisations to find simple ways to feel comfortable, happy and healthy.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Eden O'Leary: Remembering Reid

When Eden O'Leary lost her brother, Reid, to suicide last year, the 21-year-old Hawkes Bay native drew close to her family to find a way through. Together with her parents and sister, she decided that sharing her family's loss and starting a kōrero about mental health would be their way of honouring Reid's life and legacy.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
95% of innovations fail. Behavioural science can help. | The Research Agency

Be honest: how many times have you re-watched the same episodes of your favourite show? Or ordered the same thing from your local takeaway? Like it or not, most of us are creatures of habit. Once we know what we like and get into a routine it can be tough to break out of our comfort zone and try something new.

Inside Retail
12/20/2022
Why health, fitness and beauty brands are getting real (and funny)

Health, fitness and beauty. Put those three words together and they give aspiration, perfection and a number of other ideals that are impossible to live up to. A simple image search for health and fitness reveals screeds of bronzed, impossibly-toned bodies, paired with motivational slogans encouraging people to try harder, reach further, strive, dominate, or 'just do it'.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
Are you secure online? CERT NZ can help | The Research Agency

Are you secure online? CERT NZ can help More New Zealanders than ever before are losing their money, information and privacy online. According to CERT NZ, reported cyber security incidents almost doubled from 2019-2021, with New Zealanders reporting over 8,800 incidents in 2021 alone.

Theresearchagency
08/22/2023
Make the most of macro-moments | The Research Agency

It's estimated that 64% of Australians watched the Matildas in the Women's World Cup semi-final. That is a staggering number - and it's not just Australia. With the highest viewership since the Sydney Olympics and the Matildas' kit outselling the 2019 edition 13 to one, it's clear this has been a powerful macro- moment worldwide.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
The upside of uncertainty | The Research Agency

The upside of uncertainty People all over the world are feeling high levels of uncertainty right now. According to the World Uncertainty Index, Australia and New Zealand have higher reported levels of uncertainty than many other OECD countries.

Theresearchagency
08/24/2023
The company values people identify with the most | The Research Agency

The company values people identify with the most Brands that openly share their values are more likely to connect with people on a deeper level, fostering brand affinity that goes beyond rational considerations. But not all values are created equal. In fact, choosing the right values can make a major difference.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Awatea Wihongi: How kapa haka creates wellbeing and a space for kōrero

Awatea Wihongi has many strings to her bow: she’s an artist, singer, composer, Kura Kaupapa leaver, and core member of the Auckland Kapa Haka group Angitu. This multi-talented 23-year-old hails from Herekino, a small town in the Far North, but moved to Tāmaki Makarau with her whānau when she was five.

Pink Shirt Day - Mental Health Foundation
Freemans Bay School: Celebrating our differences

Inclusion and cultural understanding is an everyday part of learning at Freemans Bay School. Teacher Yu-Ching Liu hails from Taiwan, and describes celebrating diversity in her classroom as a normal everyday experience.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Saira Mcintosh: Having real conversations keeps your head above water

Saira Mcintosh has a huge passion for mental health. The Auckland-based jewellery designer and founder of Arias Design Co. donates 20% of all profits made from her polymer clay earrings to support the Mental Health Foundation, through her very own Lend An Ear initiative.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Jessica Hita: Whānau, friends, aroha and healing

Jessica Hita is a lawyer and mother of two living in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton. Like many other busy mums, Jessica can find it hard to prioritise her own mental and emotional wellbeing - which is why being involved in kapa haka is so important to her.

Pink Shirt Day - Mental Health Foundation
05/20/2022
Spark’s quest to make the internet more gender-inclusive

Recent years have seen increased discussion around the true meaning of gender. What is it to be male? To be female? To sit outside that binary altogether? Despite increasing awareness, many people and organisations have yet to come to terms with what gender diversity truly means, and how many of our day-to-day practices and language choices can leave those who identify outside the traditional 'male' and 'female' binary feeling invisible, excluded, or vulnerable.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Restaurant Association: Kōrero and connection over kai

In light of the latest COVID-19 outbreak, and with Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) right around the corner, we spoke to Restaurant Association New Zealand spokesperson Marisa Bidois about how and why they are choosing to take part in MHAW this year.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Josie Brown: Creating safe spaces for kōrero in kura

For Josie Brown, a kapa haka and music teacher in Tauranga, the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week 'take time to kōrero - ma te kōrero, ka ora' resonates both on a personal and professional level.

Mental Health Awareness Week - Mental Health Foundation NZ
Erita Thomson: Creativity and kōrero in kapa haka

Being involved in kapa Hhka all her life has given Erita Thomson (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Paia) a solid sense of who she is and a safe space in which she can express herself fully with the people around her.

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