Listed below are writers who are either not actively contributing to, or have retired altogether from Espoletta.
Kimberly WONG š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Communications major with a passion for reading from a variety of genres since childhood, Kimberly (or just Kim to those close to her) also has a finger in performing arts, and has a knack for learning new languages (she can speak French *wink*). Having worked in various industries, from education and hospitality to food and beverage, she’s not your typical “amateur” when compared to others her age. And when she’s not working (if you can even consider that “work”), she also enjoys having discussions about anything and everything under the sun… Just don’t get her started on philosophy… or you’ll never hear the end of it… And yeah, her favourite author is Haruki Murakami.
Preveena SIVAKUMAR š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Engineer by training, with a diploma in teaching, and also a published author, Preveena is one friendly and bubbly personality. Spent a decade travelling all over Asia looking for muse and inspiration, in a quest to perfect her storytelling technique. After all, travelling and experiencing the world’s cultures is the best way to open one’s mind to see the world from perspectives other than those of your own. She’s an accomplished storyteller, with a horror title under her belt – Scary: A Malaysian Horror Anthology, a book that tells stories of everyday Malaysians with real fears. Of course, horror isn’t her only strength, as she’s also inept in other genres, like romance and relationships to mention a few.
Dina GHAZALI š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Having been raised abroad almost her entire life, Dina is well exposed to the multi-cultural world around her. Claiming to be an introvert in her younger days, she penned most of her inner thoughts on paper. And that’s probably how she fell in love with writing. Now that most of her growing pains were already out of her way, she’s poised to take on the literary world, aiming to create a reputation for herself as a successful writer. Oh yeah… She’s also a movie buff too…
Muhammad REZA š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
An avid reader who enjoys learning about history and personal development, Reza considers himself a student-for-life. On top of that, he also has a dream of opening a sanctuary for strays too. As if thatās not already a lot on his plate, the arrival of his daughter changed his view of the world. He now spends whatās left of his already limited leisure time reading about baby development, so that he can raise his little princess to be the best person that she can be. A potential burn out case?ā¦ You bet!ā¦ Thatās why itās a good thing that heās also a coffee connoisseur tooā¦ Heās gonna need all that caffeine to keep him awake through the sleepless nightsā¦
Shawn KHIK š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
An avid traveller and gamer with a can-do attitude, Shawn has spent a good portion of his career as a steward with an established airline. A good choice of a career for a wanderlust who enjoys soaking up cultures and gastronomical adventures in foreign lands. Having had tasted the life as a citizen of the world, he’s now settled down to a more grounded life, and put his gift of green fingers to work. Aside from blogging the tales of his travels, he’s also in the gardening and nursery business too.
Ashley HOH š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Ashley is part psychology graduate currently working in the local healthcare scene, and part quintessential millennial learning the best ways to engage in self-care activities. When she is not working on research, she reads and occasionally writes for mental health websites. She can also be found documenting various little adventures on social media platforms, from joining yoga classes to checking out hidden gastronomic gems around town.
Sarah ZAINAL š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Growing up in a conservative society that favours the job security of a mainstream major over some eccentric ones, Sarah opted for finance. But deep down inside her, she’s totally in love with linguistics. Not surprising, since she’s always been a reader, a writer, a storyteller, and somewhat of a poet too. What better way to communicate your message than to write a story about it, right? But a wise person will actually reflect on the story before putting the thoughts and ideas into words. To make things even more interesting, she actually enjoys learning new things, soaking them all up like a sponge. And by the way, she’s an avid swimmer too.
E Wen YEO š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Having studied in both science and arts streams, E Wen has developed interests in a wide variety of topics. Along the way, she also developed a love for languages. And this budding linguist simply loves writing and travelling. Meeting people from all types of cultural backgrounds lends fodder to her insatiable passion to bring stories to life. Closer to home, she’s also a fan of fluffy kitties and horror flicks, and she secretly aspires to someday write her own horror scripts… Let’s just hope that it’s not a horror flick that includes cute kitties in it…
Hazwani CHE DIN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Having spent her childhood spread across several countries, Hazwani (or Wani for short) experienced different cultures by being immersed in them growing up. Considers herself a global citizen, though deep inside, she’s still very much a Malaysian at heart. This mother of two also advocates for fine art, and organises artisanal bazaars to help showcase them. She truly believes that the children are our future, just like in the song made famous by the late Whitey Houston. And when she’s not spending time with her two little angels, she also loves to explore uncharted areas of the world, and immerse herself into foreign cultures, traditions, eating foreign foods, learning foreign languages, and of course, journalling it down, and sharing it with the world.
Denise LEE š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A law graduate who didn’t heed the call of the legal profession. Instead, Denise dove head first into the world of corporate communications. A corporate minion by day, and a writer by night. Ventured into the world of blogging as a result of peer challenge, which has since become a labour of love. Not surprising, since she was raised listening to stories of old, and eventually picked up storytelling herself. A self-proclaimed fashionista, foodie, shopaholic, and totally infatuated with all things Korean and Japanese. Contrary to her namesake Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, she’s averse to all forms of alcohol. Her fun and quirky personality is infectious and hard to miss. You’ll definitely know when she steps into the room.
Afrina MOKHTAR š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
An introvert lived most of her life abroad, Afrina is accustomed to surrounding herself with people from different cultures. She likes to let off steam through writing and art, and used to dream of becoming a manga artist. Somehow, she managed to enter the path of writing instead. An unexpected turn of events, but not an unwelcome one! Sheās into mysterious and supernatural stories, but she daren’t watch a horror film or TV show by herself (or else sheāll traumatise herself). She also happens to be an anime enthusiast! So, if you talk to her about anime, there will be no end to the conversation.
Rachel PUNITHA š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Lecturer turned writer, who had a fling with a major newspaper, once upon a time, Rachel is a total romantic at heart… with words, that is… She can, and always will sink her teeth into a cornucopia of topics, including popular ones like work and family culture, mental and emotional health, fitness and lifestyle. But wait, the list doesn’t stop there. She’s also into weird topics too, like the woes of gardening to having weird elbows, and even the dry and boring ones like money management to retirement planning. The only servings that aren’t on her plate are the garden variety ones, like travelling and food. Talk about being eccentric…
Nin SOFIYA š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
With a background in Public Relations and content writing, and a passion for fashion, beauty and lifestyle, Nin launched her career with writing contents for the fashion industry on a popular e-commerce site. She’s also a big fan of anime and manga too, and expresses her artistic side with acrylic painting and knitting. When asked what’s in store for her future, she’ll point to some day having her own clothing line that focuses on minimalism. In the meantime, she spends her leisure binging on lifestyle and fashion channels on YouTube.
Sabrina CHONG š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Journalism graduate who jumped ship to the world of corporate communication, Sabrina is sassy and sweet, but watch out, she’s brutally honest when it comes to expressing herself, quirk and all. Her polished corporate exterior hides the fact that she’s got her fingers in almost every pie, with interests that range from the expected girly stuff like fashion and beauty, to the heavyweight topics like tech and the great outdoors. So don’t let her innocent face fool you, she’s actually fluent in geek-speak.
Zernaish JUNAID šµš°
Journalist / Writer
With a fiery passion to make this world a better place, this professionally trained chef also volunteers regularly as a counsellor for the young, and the young-at-heart. On top of that, Zernaish is also a firm believer of the power of reading and writing, hence her love for writing stories and poems as a form of expression of her messages to the world. As though that’s not already a lot on her plate, she’s also into photography and calligraphy too.
Geena ROSLYNA š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A people-person with a calm personality, Geena has big dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Graduated in Public Relations and Management, she also loves singing, acting, and of course, writing too. Has a knack for picking up new languages, Mandarin though is still posing a challenge for her. Considers impersonating foreign accents one of her peculiar talents. She’s also a huge fan of The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. And if she truly is a princess in disguise, she’s one really friendly princess, who also loves meaningful conversations. She’ll be thrilled to have a light banter with just anybody.
Derrick PANG š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Drummer, footballer, badminton player, and a seasoned volunteer of non-governmental organisations for social causes, Derrick is an English Language and Communication major with a love for teaching. Throw in his love for travelling, particularly off the beaten track, heās also known to regularly volunteer to teach English language and life skills to underprivileged communities around the world.
Atika SIKUN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
E-commerce aficionado and customer service professional by day, and a logophile by night, Atika is full of energy, the perfect embodiment of the Duracell Bunny. Made a name for herself, creating contents for blogs, magazines, portals, company profiles, press releases, tag-lines, etc. And when she’s not working, she’s probably penning down her thoughts all over town, practise the yogi lifestyle, and exploring all the nooks and crannies for that next exotic cuisine. You know she has arrived when you can feel her energy in the air, and of course, arriving in style in her signature quirky fashion.
Kaveen ANANTHA š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A Potterhead who’s also a self-study law graduate, Kaveen has high hopes of making it big… Just not exactly in the legal profession… Realised in her final year in law school that she’s much better suited in the scrivening world than litigation, she pursued to hone her writing skills to have a more persuasive voice. An avid reader who simply loves to write fantasy short stories, she sometimes even lives in her own little magical world of wizardry. And when she’s not busy cooking up what she hopes to be the next best seller in the fiction category, she’s probably creating content for her YouTube channel.
Shannie NG š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Exposed to a habit of reading from a tender age, Shannie literally grew up surrounded by books. Not a surprise that she developed an affinity for reading, a habit that she carries over till today. Whenever sheās not spending time with her other commitments in music, dancing and writing, you can always find her holed up in a corner, somewhere, reading a bookā¦ And when you ask this budding rocket scientist whereās the safest place to hide during a zombie apocalypse, sheād most likely tell you, āThe libraryāā¦ Youāve never heard of a zombie that reads, have you?ā¦
Amal HAMIZAH š§š³
Journalist / Writer
A psychologist by training, but Amal’s soft and demure looks will most certainly fool you into thinking that she’s anything but that. Like most millennials, she’s into the fashion and gastronomic adventure as well. But unlike most millennials, she’s also into art, stationeries, and literature too… Yup, both reading and writing. You’d be surprised that somebody as young as her has already racked up several years of writing experience under her belt. Oh yeah, she’s also got a soft spot for cats too, and admittedly spends countless hours on YouTube… You know?… Cats?… YouTube?… Cats?… YouTube?… Before you know it, you’ve unknowingly lost two hours of your life, wandering from one cute kitten video to the next on YouTube…
Aurelia CHAN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A student of design and journalism, Aurelia is young and full of energy. She has a passion for photography, writing, art, and yes, playing guitars too. Having discovered the art of writing at a tender age of eight, when she entered short stories and poems in contests, it more or less sealed her love for telling stories.
Hasnah ABDUL RAHMAN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Having more than three decades of experience in the media industry under her belt, writing and editing for several publications, before turning over to the corporate world as a communication strategist, Hasnah has seen it all before. But the lure of the corporate world had finally lost its shine on her, as she turned what was once a mere hobby to de-stress herself, into a career on its own right. This fiery mother of four sons now writes, runs a catering business, and is also a social activist for autism too, having two sons under the Autism Spectrum. And what else is there left to do?… Well, how about diving?… Perhaps bungee jumping?… Yup, the fire inside her still burns bright as ever.
Amirah HENG š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Engineer by profession, and specialising in 3D design no less, you’d be forgiven to assume that she’s the quintessential geek, who thrives in the habitat of the usual cubicle, surrounded by tall walls on all four sides. What you may not know is that Amirah is also an adventurer, often wandering off the beaten path too. Hiking up a mountain, trekking through a jungle, backpacking in unknown places, or even camping out in the wild, she’s got them all under her belt. How else will you get to mingle with outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world? And as if that’s not already enough, she’s a passionate poet too…
Roubeeni MOHAN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
An avid reader with a love for languages and music, Roubeeni is passionate in writing, and truly believes that written words make an impact on those reading them. How else do you explain why movies derived from books almost always fare poorer than the books themselves? Fondly known to those close to her as Rube (pronounced “Rue-Bee”), she believes that not everything is the way it seems to be with written works, and that there’ll always be a plot twist when you least expect it. Recently rekindled her love for Greek mythology and Egyptology, this romantic but introverted lass finds solace in sunsets, and in her three-legged cat, Clover@Coco.
Li O’ Liliana š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
With a background in media studies and corporate communication, Liliana is a wanderlust who found her true calling in telling stories. Never at peace in a regular nine-to-five job, and always seeking intellectual and creative fulfilment by meeting new people and exploring hidden nooks and crannies. She truly believes that work and play are two sides of the same coin, and strives to find a way to integrate them into a fun activity. Ever eager to share her views through writing, where she can pour her heart and soul into.
Navid IMTIAZ š§š©
Journalist / Writer
With a double major in Restaurant Management and Business under his belt, Navid is a typical millennial with interest in all things automotive and tech. But unlike the typical millennial, he has already racked up several years of writing experience for a handful of international publications, whilst most of his peers are still preoccupied with the latest video games. This veteran writer also confesses that he “can’t live without the internet”. Well, it’s a good thing that we now have mobile internet that we carry with us everywhere we go.
Zainiffer ZAINAL š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Copywriter, content strategist, content creator, scriptwriter, editor, interviewer, and when things go ballistic as they often do, an in-house therapist too, Zainiffer has bitten off more than her fair share in the broadcast industry. Affectionately known as Effa, her journalistic curiosity, combined with broadcast and agency experience helps her to guide her clients to ask the right questions to the already obvious answers. Not something that meek young executives look forward to doing… And how does she unwind from this high-strung career?… By meditatively trimming her watermelon vines on her balcony garden.
Fadzel HAMDEN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A global citizen at heart, having lived and worked in the UK, Australia and Singapore, Fadzel has a cosmopolitan approach to life. Contrary to popular belief, having a law degree under his belt is no guarantee of satisfaction, as he was soon drawn to the education industry. He has since written articles on a variety of topics, but his heart will always belong to the education industry, having been personally involved in all facets of education. And to spice up an otherwise straight and narrow lifestyle, he also dabbles in amateur cooking too.
Ashlyn TEOH š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A law graduate who tried to assimilate herself into the legal profession, Ashlyn soon realised that it’s not exactly providing the excitement that she seeks in a career. So what excites her? Well, it’s her childhood love for reading and writing, which eventually led her to discover the world of journalism, of storytelling. Bubbly and easygoing, with a passion that’s fuelled by natural curiosity, she’s unafraid to push the envelope of her comfort zone. She truly believes that everybody has a story to tell, and she wants to be the one to tell it. Try striking up a casual conversation with her, and before too long, she’ll have half of your biography stored up in her mind, waiting to be penned into a story.
Najwa MAIHAZAM š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Projecting a shy and reserved first impression, English Linguistics major and coffee connoisseur, Najwa will probably give you a pleasant surprise, as there’s more to her than meets the eye. A logophile that’s always scribbling lyrics and poems in her notebook (yes, the paper kind). And when she warms up to you, good luck trying to shut her up, as she’s probably more talkative and a practical joker than you are. She believes that everybody is born different, and this unique difference that separates all of us should be celebrated, not shunned.
Naeim AHMAD š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Amateur footballer who loves to self-commentate his own gameplay while on the pitch, as a way to unwind from a hectic work life, Naeim is anything but typical. And when he’s not sweating it out on the pitch, he’s also a firm believer in the revolution by the pen. Yes, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword to this young man. Always fighting a never-ending battle to exterminate ignorance and misconceptions by empirically arguing and pointing out the what’s, the how’s and the why’s, using his weapon of choice – the pen… Or rather – the keyboard…
Lolita VILLA šµš
Journalist / Writer
Graduated from a prestigious university in Creative Writing, Lolita first got involved in the world of literature by reading, and then telling stories and folklores in school bus rides during her childhood. Affectionately known to those close to her as Lila, by 19 years of age, she started to write professionally, producing content for both print and digital formats, first in the Philippines, and soon thereafter, globally. She even earned a fellowship from a distinguished university, securing her place on the same pedestal as some of the world’s most influential names in Asian literature. Not wanting to bask in the glory all alone, she went on to teach English to students of diverse nationalities. And when she’s not out there conquering the literature world, she’s also a loving wife and a doting mother too.
Lydia LEE š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Bubbly, bright, and extremely friendly, Lydia gives a whole new meaning to the term “people-person”. What she lacks for in her youth, she more than makes up with plenty of reading and writing, which is more than what I can say for most people twice her age… What’s left of her extremely rare leisure time is spent with her head buried deep in books, both online and the paper kind. After all, the best kind of writers are those who read a lot themselves.
Anita PALANISAMY š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Semi-retired English language instructor/lecturer, Anita is a lively, go-getter, with a passion for life. She’s been involved in more than just the education industry for almost three decades of her professional life. She also conducts summer English programmes, as well as consults and trains too. Aside from “work” she’s also into reading, travelling and singing. That’s right, she actually sang professionally before. So what keeps her going? Well, she believes that there are no limits in what you can do if you truly believe in yourself.
Tee May TAN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Mass Communication graduate, with a passion to write and tell stories, Tee May formed a Book Club during her university days, and led the members to connect with others who share their love of reading. She believes that everybody has a story of their own, waiting for the right time, and perhaps the right writer to pen it down, and share it with the world. So far, she’s written about entrepreneurship, self-care, mental health, and self-awareness, and she’s barely starting only. An amateur drummer and dancer, she also has a pretty active life outside of the library too. She’s your typical millennial with the “Work Hard, Play Hard” attitude, and a high energy personality to boot.
Hakim HAMDAN š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Linguistics graduate, with a minor in Psychology, Hakim is a customer service representative by profession, and has a gamut of interests that range from the boring to the eccentric. When heās not at work, heās probably busy with several of his hobbies which include working out, discovering new places to eat, thrift shopping, reading up on random topics, and fantasising about his next travel destination. He dreams of being a balanced all-rounder, and is interested in an array of topics like cuisine, slow fashion, sustainability, fitness, sociology, psychology and linguistics. Always eager to learn new things, you can expect him to be talking about the most random things.
Ti ArNeez š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Her shy countenance hides the fact that Ti ArNeez is actually an all round talented performer. She writes, produces, directs, choreographs, and even acts in various types of theatrical performances. Ever since falling in love with performing arts at a tender age of five, she’s been involved in performances of one kind or another. Singing at weddings, dancing at social events, you name it, she’s probably done it. And when she’s away from the limelight, you can probably find her scouting around for her next gastronomic adventure, lazing by the beach with a good book, enjoying a good movie or two, and of course, actively participating in social media.
Izzat HAZIQ š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
Spent his formative years thinking that nobody listens to him unless he writes, Izzat learnt to express himself via writing. Trained as an English teacher, he eventually acquired deep understandings on how the language works. It’s no surprise that he eventually finds himself working as a writer for a digital agency. He attributes his foray into the creative world to his mother, an art teacher, through whose sketch books and countless hours of fiddling around with her oil pastels and acrylics, he learnt to “paint pictures” using words. These days, he finds pleasure in all things related to pop culture, and occasionally dabbles in filmmaking too.
Hayley LIM š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
An aspiring lawyer that was enticed by the siren call of journalism, Hayley found herself being drawn away from her ambition in a legal career to a more “fun” career as a journalist. Since then, she has reported on anything and everything under the umbrella of journalism. As if that wasn’t already enough, she also found herself being drawn towards stories that took her out of the comforts of her urban abode, and into the rough locales of rural communities, particularly deep into the heart of rural East Malaysia. Aside from “work” she also finds solace in voluntarism too, particularly in animal welfare. And this animal lover has a heart for many other social causes too.
Julia YONG š²š¾
Journalist / Writer
A marketer with many years of experience helping various industries grow, Julia brings to the table what no traditional marketing professional has ever thought of before – visual creativity and storytelling. Throw in some business acumen and analytical skills, and we’ll end up with some pretty creative marketing techniques. Of course, not everything is about work, and Julia is also another foodie too, exploring every nook and cranny for exotic cuisines. Wanna know more about her gastronomic adventures? Fear not, for she’s also fond of capturing her adventures through her video logs too. That’s right, she’s both a vlogger and a blogger!
