Lucy Blakiston
Lucy Blakiston is the co-author of Make It Make Sense, a collection of essays written alongside her friend, the poet and writer Bel Hawkins. Lucy is the CEO and editorial director of global media platform Shit You Should Care About (SYSCA). SYSCA helps primarily young people make sense of the news through its popular Instagram account (with 3.4 million followers), a daily newsletter with over 230 thousand daily readers, and two podcasts (currently on hiatus). Lucy has been recognised internationally for her work—she was named on the News Media Association’s Global 30 Under 30 list in 2023 and nominated for Young New Zealander of the Year in 2021. She regularly speaks and advises on engaging Gen Z audiences globally. Lucy is from Blenheim and was head girl at Marlborough Girls’ College in 2015.
2025 festival sessions
Make It Make Sense
Lucy Blakiston in conversation with Tania Miller
3.45pm-4.45pm Sunday 20 July, Whitehaven Room, ASB Theatre Marlborough, $25
Lucy Blakiston, CEO and editorial director of media company Shit You Should Care About (SYSCA), discusses her debut book Make It Make Sense and the success story that is SYSCA. At just 21, Blenheim-raised Lucy launched SYSCA with her two best friends, Olivia Mercer and Ruby Edwards. Within a year, the platform amassed millions of followers. Make It Make Sense, which is co-written with the poet and writer Bel Hawkins, is a vibrant blend of cultural analysis, personal essays, poetry, lists, and sharp, funny reflections - it’s a book that feels like a deep, late-night conversation with a friend. It’s unflinchingly honest, often hilarious, and sometimes disarmingly uncomfortable in its truth-telling. Lucy is in conversation with Marlborough District Library’s Tania Miller.
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