Derya Tolhurst

Founder & Story Strategist

I’m Derya, a storyteller at heart and strategist by trade.

With a background spanning international communications, government campaigns, and brand content across the NZ, UK and the Netherlands, I founded Fable & Brand to help businesses uncover and express their most powerful asset: their story.

Before launching the studio, I shaped high-impact narratives for over 45,000 global stakeholders in the public sector, ran campaigns that drove engagement across 35+ countries, and developed my own travel storytelling brand. I’ve translated policy into poetry (well, nearly), and turned complex ideas into compelling content for audiences of every kind.

Fable & Brand was born from a belief: that brands with heart—and a clear sense of story—stand out and stick.

Whether you're a founder launching something new or a company evolving your voice, I help craft the strategy and language that make your brand resonate. My approach blends narrative instinct with data-driven clarity, drawing from years of experience across editorial, brand, and employer marketing.