Lizzie Marvelly launches new project for young women

Lizzie Marvelly

From songstress to Villainesse - Rotorua singer Lizzie Marvelly is branching out into new media aimed at young women.

Villainesse is the name of the media project, which she told a Massey University blog was to create "smart, no-filter media for young women aged 16-25".

Marvelly is set to graduate this month with a BA in English and psychology, which she has studied extramurally.

On her Twitter account she describes herself as editor of Villainesse.

She said she hoped to build a global group of student writers whose work would be published on Villainesse, as well as branch out to include students' videos, podcasts and other media.

Villainesse would also feature the writing of well-known young woman columnists. She hoped to create connections among student writers and established writers. The project, which can be found at www.villainesse.com, will launch next month.

"It's very much at the start-up stage at the moment and the site won't launch until May, but I'm putting the call out to writers and collecting articles now," Miss Marvelly told Massey University.

"I'm looking for a mixture of hard news, features, investigative features, opinion pieces, creative non-fiction, and hybrids of those forms.

Watch this space... the Villainesse is on her way! Sign up here: http://t.co/uahrTNVog9

— Villainesse (@TheVillainesse) March 12, 2015

"The idea is for writers to write about issues that they're passionate about - that would be relevant to young women aged 16 to 25 - from their own unique perspectives whilst upholding a code of ethics and aiming for sound and balanced journalism."

She hoped Villainesse would become a place where "girl power" was fostered.