About me

I’m Liza, a freelance journalist from Rotterdam (the Netherlands), currently dividing my time between my hometown and Rome, Italy. I tell stories about travel, design, culture, sustainability, and more. I write both for Dutch and English language publications. My work has appeared in ELLE Decoration, National Geographic Traveler, Dwell Magazine, Culture Trip, Holland Herald, Flying Dutchman, Algemeen Dagblad, Kampioen, Elsevier Weekblad, CiaoTutti.nl, and more.

Portrait by Cinzia Capparelli

About me (the long version)

I was born in 1991 in a small town near Rotterdam. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. Languages have always fascinated me: I speak three of them on a daily basis - Dutch, English, and Italian - and I love using them to tell stories about topics close to my heart.

How it all started
I have a background in communications and journalism (to be precise, a bachelor's degree in International Communication & Media and a master's in Journalism). After graduating in 2014 and traveling for a couple of months, I started working as a freelance journalist. Since then, there have been few themes I haven’t covered: from entrepreneurship to restaurants, fashion to books, art to economics, and technology to human interest. I love the feeling of diving head-first into a new topic: it’s as if a whole world opens up with each story.

What I do now
I currently write mostly about design, travel, culture, and sustainability - preferably in a way that goes beyond clichés and shows the creative initiatives that make me hopeful. Ghost villages coming back to life, for example, or young talent presenting sustainable ideas at the Milan Design Week. Themes like sustainability and transparency play an important role in my stories. For example, in my essay for National Geographic Traveler on the suffering behind big travel booking sites and the alternatives, or my piece for Elsevier on the sustainability of Italian fashion.

In 2018, I moved from Rotterdam to Italy - first to Turin and then to Rome. I live there together with my Italian boyfriend and a retired shelter dog who has become a little too used to his new luxury lifestyle. I love to travel, discover new restaurants, and visit museums. I also enjoy photography: my shots sometimes accompany my stories (you can find a few examples here).

Who I write for

  • National Geographic Traveler

  • ELLE Decoration

  • Holland Herald

  • Flying Dutchman

  • Dwell Magazine

  • Elsevier Weekblad

  • Kampioen

  • Algemeen Dagblad

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You can send me your press releases and proposals at liza.karsemeijer[at]gmail.com. I receive many of them, but I promise I’ll get in touch if I want to know more. Please note the topics I write about include travel (mostly Italy), design, art, and culture, so there’s not much use in sending me press releases on the newest Tesla or a supermarket opening a new location. Take a look at the ‘stories’ page to get a good impression of the type of stories I write.

  • Let’s have a chat! Besides journalism, I regularly write (web)copy for companies in different sectors, both in English and Dutch. I also have experience in subediting and coordinating editorial teams. Lastly, I’m available for translation work (Dutch to English, English to Dutch, and Italian to English or Dutch). Drop me a line at liza.karsemeijer[at]gmail.com and we’ll talk about the possibilities (please note this is my full-time job and unfortunately, I don’t have room in my schedule for un(der)paid work at this time).

  • On this page, you can find a bunch of stories about Italy I wrote throughout the years. I also wrote this list with local tips for Rome. If your destination is not on here, I probably haven’t been or don’t know enough about it.

  • No.