Olivia is a freelance writer and online editor currently based in Sydney (although she’d love to try her hand at being based anywhere in the world). She completed her Bachelor of Arts/Psychology at the end of 2006 and returned to university in 2008 to begin her Masters in Creative Writing. She spent 2007 travelling and pretending it would last forever. It didn’t. To combat the depressing nature of this reality, Olivia recently spent two months during 2008 on the Greek Island of Santorini, pretending that would last forever. It didn’t either.

Olivia is one of the women behind Niche Creative Media, a boutique agency founded earlier this year to cater to the copywriting and media needs of small businesses. Niche Creative Media is featured in Sprout the Life You Live; Tales & Secrets from Female Entrepreneurs, the first book in a planned series from Sprout Publishing, released late 2008. NCM is positioning itself to create fantastic opportunities and resources for Gen Y, so it’s imperative you keep your finger on its throbbing pulse.

Niche Creative Media launched its first baby on December 1st 2008, the online magazine du jour for Gen Y – Trespass. Along with Sarah Ayoub, Olivia is Co-Editor in Chief/Co-Publisher of Trespass, and writes regularly for it, as well as commissioning the brilliant articles it features. In the six weeks since its lauch, Trespass has become the must-read for aware, informed, engaged Gen Y-ers.

She has written for Australian e-zines Small Lust and Mink Magazine and Sprout Magazine, where she writes about her not so secret obsession, fragrance. Another not so secret obsession is, of course, travelling, which Olivia justifies by saying ‘it’ll be great for my travel writing …’ The fruits of this justification can be found on the Australian site The Travel Rag, in Canadian travel e-zine, Brave New Traveler and in its sister publication, Matador Travels.

She is often ranting, if not raving, and thus enjoys penning and reading opinion editorials – in fact, she has successfully Heckled the Sydney Morning Herald three times, and plans to keep going. One may call her a Serial Heckler.

A lengthy past in beauty and cosmetics sales means she possesses a penchant for all things pretty and fragrant (and writing about them) and if parfum is her poison, then pop culture is her Achilles heel. A shocking weakness for all things superficial, frivolous and popular means Perez and The Superficial are bookmarked, and she speaks of Britney as if they are friends. They aren’t.

Although, they could have been. In 2007 Olivia was one of 6 finalists in Famous Magazine’s nationwide search for a new intern. In front of a very bored camera crew, Olivia chose her trip over the possibility of winning. She toasted to Famous with champagne when she touched down in LA.

Olivia was also on the panel of SBS program, Insight, when US journalist Maureen Dowd was in town to promote her book, and nearly fainted when Maureen scrawled a sweet sentiment on the inside cover of Are Men Necessary. Every now and then, when no one is looking, Olivia pulls out her copy and rereads the inscription.

As well has holding her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and studying for her Masters in Creative Writing, Olivia has done a Creative Writing course with the Writer’s Studio in Bronte, Sydney and has her Diploma in Freelance Journalism, from the Morris Academy. No she cannot psycho-analyse you, and no she does not know what you’re thinking.

** Sandi Tighello interviewed Liv here.