ABOUT

Maya Oppenheim is a journalist and author who lives in London. She is the former Women's Correspondent at The Independent and was the first and only person to have this job title at a UK news outlet before leaving the role to go freelance at the beginning of 2025. Since going freelance, she has written for The Observer, The Times, VICE, Cosmopolitan, The Independent, Novara Media, The i, Service95 and Mashable. Her second book 50 Feminism Ideas You Really Need to Know is due to be published by Hachette UK on 13 August 2026.

It is part of the popular 50 Ideas You Really Need to Know series which includes books on art, literature, psychology, politics, physics, fashion, literature and much more. In a series of 50 essays, Maya’s book takes a look at the history, ideas and battle grounds that have defined and divided feminist movements. With writing that spans the worlds of pop culture, literature, theory, politics, economics, art, science, activism and technology, the book charts the trajectory of an eclectic movement, which has long strived to make the world a fairer and less brutal place. The book also delves into a range of contemporary issues - from the manosphere to tradwives to conspirituality - which feminist movements wrestle with today.

In the over six years Maya worked as the Women’s Correspondent at The Independent, she wrote extensively on issues ranging from human rights to sexual violence, domestic abuse, abortion, the far right, police violence, sex work, childcare, women’s health, poverty, the criminal justice system and more. Her first book, The Pocket Guide to the Patriarchy, explores these issues and far more across 22 chapters. The book was published by Hachette UK in 2023 and has been endorsed by the former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, actor Olivia Colman, writer and activist, Selma James, leading global human rights organisation Amnesty International, and media publication, Dazed, among others.

Topics Maya had long been writing about previously deemed marginal have climbed up the political and news agenda, with her helping to set the agenda in this area. As well as writing news, features and investigations exploring national issues, social policy and global stories from a women’s angle at The Independent, she wrote and curated a popular free women-focused weekly newsletter for the news outlet called Independent Women. She has also written food and travel stories for the Lifestyle Desk. Prior to working as the Women's Correspondent, Maya worked on The Independent's News Desk and People Desk, after working as a freelance journalist for Vice, New Statesman, i-D magazine, Buzzfeed, Dazed and other publications. She previously completed a Masters degree in Journalism at Goldsmiths University.

Maya is an experienced public speaker - with this spanning from TV, podcast and radio appearances to giving solo talks, chairing and participating in panel discussions, and delivering media training sessions. This has included working with King's College London, Council of Europe, the London Assembly, HOPE not hate, the UK's leading anti-fascist organisation, Women’s Aid, a leading domestic abuse charity, Fawcett Society, the UK’s leading gender equality charity, prominent global NGOs ActionAid and the British Red Cross, Latitude Festival, HowTheLightsGetsIn festival, The Independent and more, as well as doing media appearances on Radio 4, Talk TV, BBC Radio 5 Live, Times Radio and LBC.