Writers

When she’s not writing or dreaming, Aathhini Adithan is always curled up at home binge-watching her favourite TV series or K-pop music videos. She also loves sunrises, sunsets, and midnight drives on empty roads.
​Aathhini's work appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?, NutMag Volume 3: Island Living, and NutMag Volume 4: Transitions.
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Aimi Shaheera Salleh is a novice—and hopeful—writer from Penang, Malaysia. She enjoys photography and travelling but has never gotten over the fear of flying. An avid coffee drinker, she believes her life depends on it. She also wishes to start a travel blog but is getting too comfortable with the joy of doing nothing.
​Aimi's work appears in Nutmag Volume 7: Inheritance.
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Originally from Scotland, Ali Gallo has lived in Africa and now Malaysia, which has taught her that running water, reliable internet, and Irn Bru are luxuries that should not be taken for granted. She writes plays, books, blogs, and shopping lists—but not necessarily in that order. When not writing the next in her series of novellas on Amazon, she runs an international podcast theatre company called 'Shouting In the Evening'. Her hobbies include avoiding responsibility and getting distracted by shiny objects.
Ali's work appears in NutMag Volume 5: Lost.
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Anis Rozalina Ramli is a writer with PR, corporate communications, and advertising experience. She writes poetry, explores therapeutic writing, and is currently dabbling in writing short fiction. On the weekends, she can be found in Janda Baik, Pahang with her husband and children, where they are building a writer’s retreat and retirement home in the jungle.
Anis' work appears in Home Groan. Her story, 'The Pickpocket', has been selected for the STPM Literature in English 920 syllabus starting in 2025. 
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Anna Tan writes fantastical stories and fairy tales, and has short stories included in various anthologies. She helps people publish books at Teaspoon Publishing, which includes yelling at HTML for epub reasons. She is also the primary editor of NutMag, an annual zine published for and by MYWriters Penang.
Anna's work also appears in NutMag Volume 1, NutMag Volume 3: Island Living, Home Groan, and NutMag Volume 6: Hope.
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Anwar Hadi is a teacher in Penang and occasionally writes about things across the board: from the insecurities he has about himself to the grievances he has towards the Malaysian political elite. He posts his rap songs on Soundcloud and his videos on Youtube as "inianwarhadi".
Anwar's work appears in NutMag Volume 1.
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Chee Siew Hoong loves books, music, writing, dogs and family jaunts. She enjoys conversations with young and old people over books, faith, and food. She volunteers with a local community school. She writes because she can’t imagine not writing. Some of her writings have been published.
Siew Hoong's work appears in Home Groan.
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​Born and raised in Penang, Dan Lee is an underpaid office worker with grand dreams but because he is a master procrastinator, and only writes when lightning strikes, he lives with his mother in Penang.
Dan's work appears in Home Groan.
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Diyaa is a full-time writer, editor, proofreader, and social media manager, dreaming of becoming a full-fledged digital nomad someday. When they are not writing for work, they write for fun. Their works are usually found under their pseudonyms, Serendipity and NightShade. They write poetry and prose about mental health, fantasy, feminism, human rights, and the environment. When they occasionally venture out of their hidey-hole, you might find one of their alters spouting poetry on a stage.
Or just gazing off into space.
Their work can be found on Instagram.
Nightshade's work appears in NutMag Volume 3: Island Living, NutMag Volume 4: Transitions, Home Groan, NutMag Volume 5: Lost, and NutMag Volume 6: Hope.
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Born and bred in Penang and still currently residing in the Pearl of the Orient, Elaine Lee Yew Mei loves reading, dogs, and taking walks on the beach. She also has a thing for Sunrises and Sunsets. Writing is something that she is passionate about and it brings her inexplicable joy. Elaine believes that every life experience should be effective agents of change to make us better people on this earth.
Elaine's work appears in Home Groan.
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Farouk Gulsara is a daytime healer and a writer by night. After developing the left side of his brain almost half his lifetime, this Johnny-come-lately decided to stimulate the non-dominant part of his remaining half. An author of two non-fiction books, ‘Inside the Twisted Mind of Rifle Range Boy’ and ‘Real Lessons from Reel Life’, he now ventures into the genre of fiction. He writes regularly on his blog, ‘Rifle Range Boy’.
​Farouk's work appears in NutMag Volume 4: Transitions. 
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Hanno Frank creates. Sometimes she creates by writing. Sometime she creates by drawing. Sometimes she creates by attaching outrageous things to herself and singing loudly on public streets. In Penang, no one minds. They are used to her there. They saw her recite “Bad Poetry”. Nothing can bother Penang now.
Hanno's work appears in NutMag Volume 1.
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Jackie Ashkin is an author and anthropologist-in-progress. Half-Malaysian and half-American, her writing incorporates two decades of life lived between and across cultures.
Jackie's work appears in NutMag Volume 4: Transitions.
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Johanna Anuar is a writer, an avid reader and painter. She’s written many short stories and poems that are available on her blog, The Snake Pit. This short story, Lemonade Stand, is one of them. She lives with her family in Balik Pulau, Penang Island.
Johanna's work appears in NutMag Volume 1.
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Hi, I’m Kang Chung Yee and I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Public Relations at Han Chiang University College in Penang. I was born in Penang as well and am really proud to express how fortunate I am to be a Penangite. Planning and coordinating events are my passion. I also plays football and perform calisthenics workouts on a regular basis.
Chung Yee's work appears in Home Groan.
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Krishnaveni K.K. Panikker is a retired clinic nurse who lives in a small kampung. Her hobbies are reading, people-watching, and writing. She has written mainly children’s short stories. She loves helping abandoned children and the homeless and this has made her see things differently. She enjoys writing about the underprivileged and how they cope with life but never mentions any names in her writings as she feels everyone has dignity and should be given the privacy they deserve.
Krishnaveni's work appears in Home Groan. Her story, 'Janaki's Journey', has been selected for the STPM Literature in English 920 syllabus starting in 2025. 
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Lee Chow Ping loves aircraft and books. She lives near an airport in a home perpetually overrun by books.
Chow Ping's work appears in NutMag Volume 5: Lost.
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Lucille Dass is a retired but “rewired” academic. She dubs herself a ‘seenager’ since she’s seen and been ‘through the ages!’ She’s always enjoyed word-work and has inked several publications of both the scholarly and non-scholarly kind. She resorts to poetry when mood, muse, or madness prompts. (“O! that way madness lies.” ~ Shakespeare) The results?
- the vaguely vacuous verse
- the purely puerile
-the occasionally contemplative
-or simply FUN...& why not!
Lucille's work appears in NutMag Volume 1, NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?, NutMag Volume 3: Island Living, Home Groan, NutMag Volume 5: Lost, and ​NutMag Volume 7: Inheritance.
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A native Penang islander, Mandy Chee is fascinated by all things musical, history, and wildlife. She is more comfortable penning her thoughts than initiating conversations. Creativity and words elude her 90% of the time—and the remaining 10% come at the most random moments. When she’s not reading or hiding in her bubble, you may find her in her backyard learning to ID birds.
Mandy's work appears in Home Groan.

Originally from Scotland, Mark Walker now spends most of his time in Malaysia and East Africa.
A travel consultant by profession, he has a voracious curiosity about all aspects of life in all the places he has visited. This deep engagement is reflected in his output as a teller of stories, a blogger, a poet, writer, and photographer. He tells stories through all of the media he uses, sometimes hitting hard and to the point, to give voice to issues he is passionate about.
Mark's work appears in NutMag Volume 4: Transitions.
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Mathijs Nanne is a chef who has been working in Penang for a number of years now. Writing is a hobby that allows him to express thoughts and share views on his daily goings-on. He currently does some limited work for blogs, including www.penang-insider.com but aims to progress to more.
​Mathijs' work appears in NutMag Volume 4: Transitions.
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A millennial by age, old soul by heart, Maygan Ong is starting to dip her toes into the vast sea of writing, in hopes of being able to glide across even the choppiest waves one day.
Maygan's work appears in NutMag Volume 3: Island Living. 
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Michelle Leong is based in Penang and London. Her work has previously been published in Not Your Eyes and Squidynk. She runs, walks, climbs indoors, and gets frustrated when bookstores don't stock Deleuze and Guattari.
​Michelle's work appears in NutMag Volume 1.
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Miriam Devaprasana is researcher, writer, and community builder. She is the founding member of Dabble Dabble Jer Collective and is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Sociolinguistics. Miriam believes that all stories are worthy of time and space, and dabbles in varied creative expressions to bring these stories to life. She hopes that one day, her work will help form a new way of thinking ‘Malaysia’. Look her up on Instagram: @thelocalsojourner.
Miriam's work appears in NutMag Volume 6: Hope and NutMag Volume 7: Inheritance.
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Ong Sheng How, a.k.a. Orange Ong, grew up in Bukit Mertajam. He studied in Kim Sen Primary School and then Jit Sin Secondary School before furthering his tertiary education in Melbourne, Australia. Upon returning home after graduation, he had the experience of working as a construction site engineer and as a civil engineering design engineer in Penang, and as a traffic engineering and transportation planning consultant in KL. Currently, he is back in Penang to care for his aging parents as well as to contribute his expertise hoping to improve the traffic and transportation situation in his beloved Penang State.
Sheng How's work appears in Home Groan.

Petrina Anthony writes poems that have been published in a book called “Poetry Side of Tumblr” & featured on The Cloud Appreciation Society website. Her poems are mostly based on children’s literature and the advice that she gives to herself. As a former writer for both print media and advertising, she gained many experiences from the industry and now does freelance copy editing in George Town, Penang.
Petrina's work appears in NutMag Volume 5: Lost.
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Sofea Lee was born and raised in Penang and is now happy to be back after a long stint away. In her past life, she worked as a financial statement auditor, but these days she prefers getting lost in open-world video games, running along Karpal Singh Drive, and eating tom yum every chance she gets.
Sofea's work appears in NutMag 7:  Inheritance.
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Qian Fang, otherwise known by 90% of her friends as just Yeap, would love for you to know her as an enthusiastic person in love with intellectual ideas. She has an unusual affinity for foraying into random endeavours, like raising chicks and memorising the location of every country on the map during the lockdown. A master of procrastination, she is permanently loud and destined to be small. She is probably knitting, squealing over baby videos or listening to philosophy podcasts she thinks will make her smart as you are reading this.
Qian Fang's work appears in NutMag Volume 5: Lost.

A concoction of oxymoronic attributes, Rachel Yeoh is a lazy overachiever. She writes for a living, sings when the sun goes down and runs a homemade granola company with whatever is left of her time. Always planning for something to do while procrastinating on her bed, she is quick to be on her feet at any chance to travel.
Rachel's work appears in Home Groan.
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Raimrod is a coffee-loving closet writer. He works on his unremarkable romantic pieces over mealtimes while watching unwary couples arguing, kissing, or sometimes holding hands at cheap restaurants, documenting their lame jokes and silly trade. Currently writing and moping over his first book.
Raimrod's work appears in NutMag Volume 1.
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Rebecca Vega is an editor, writer, embroidery enthusiast, and explorer. She writes about mental health, changing social landscapes, and where her dog is currently hiding, and she plans more holidays than she can afford. Wherever she goes, there she is. 
Rebecca's work appears in NutMag 5: Lost and NutMag Volume 6: Hope.
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Red Beanie, author of poetry zines Black Ribbons and Pearls, Kisses on Coffee Cups, and If Taylor Swift Can Write It So Can I, is a translator of hearts to words. Born and bred in Penang, she advocates the benefits of creative arts in self-discovery and connection. She balances her life in being a romantic as well as a cynic.
Red Beanie's work appears in NutMag Volume 3: Island Living and Home Groan. 
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A holistic artist residing in Penang who cannot see herself living anywhere else, Regina Ibrahim has written 2 novels and some anthologies.
Regina's work appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?
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Safiza Yusof is from Petaling Jaya. In 2011, she moved to Penang, where she works in one of the kilangs in Bayan Lepas. Safiza is a travel writer, a common reader and a Nescafe Tarik lover. In her blog, she writes stories inspired by her travels.
Safiza's work appears in NutMag Volume 1.
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Shangeetha Ganesan is a bundle of energy trapped in a 4ft 11in frame with a mind as restless as her body. Loves to dive head on into anything that piques her interest. Loves the waters way too much that she pretends to be a mermaid when she is in the sea. If she were to have it her way, she would gladly abandon the real world to live in her fantasy forever.
Shangeetha's work appears in NutMag Volume 3: Island Living.
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Shaqila is a versatile poet and a published writer with a short story entitled Fifty Laps in an anthology called ‘Champion Fellas’. She recently completed a Poetry Marathon, where one has to write a poem an hour for 24 hours, because she is insane like that! Shaqila is also a stand-up comedienne with 'sayitmeanitpenang'.
Shaqila's work appears in NutMag Volume 1. 
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Sheena Baharudin is a poet, educator, and spoken word artist. Since publishing her first book in 2013 entitled Rhymes for Mending Hearts, she has been invited as a TEDx and Incitement speaker, had her poems translated into Spanish and French, and performed both solo as well as ensemble shows at various events including the Melaka Arts Festival, Urbanscapes, Cooler Lumpur Fest, Georgetown Literary Fest, and Singapore's Lit Up Fest. In May 2017, she released All the Bodies We've Embraced, a bilingual collection of letters and poems. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Malaysian Literature at the University of Nottingham.
​Sheena's work appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?
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Sukanya Dhanarajan is an educationist with more than 30 years’ experience in the field of Education. She is a Biochemistry graduate who went on to do a Diploma in Education and a Masters in Managerial Psychology. Currently she works as an Education Consultant promoting New Zealand Educational Institutions.
Sukanya has been writing since she was in school.  Writing is both a hobby and a creative outlet. Besides writing, she also loves to travel, the experiences of which, contributes to her stories. She likes to write about real-life experiences.
​Sukanya's work appears in Home Groan.

Tharmini Kenas is an Ipoh-born 20-something who finds solace in quiet, quirky alleys, who amuses herself by stringing words together, who finds joy in a big cup of frothy chai.
Tharmini's work appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?
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Tom Christie is a teacher and a writer. He tries to write about things that he has learned about like a lesson. He likes to read things where he feels like he has learned something new about himself, the world and the universe. People and concepts interest him. 
Last month, he made a book. Yes not published. All you need is glue, paper and scissors.
Tom's work appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?
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Vanessa Woodruff hails from Lancashire in the north of England and has lived in Penang for the past 26 years. She has years of experience teaching English to locals and foreigners alike and she currently tutors in the Department of Education in Wawasan Open University. Marrying into a Hindu family and raising two biracial children has given her an insight into another culture, which she seeks to share from her own unique perspective. Vanessa loves to travel with her family and explore new sights as well as read and cook in her free time.
Vanessa's work appears in Home Groan.
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Wahida writes occasionally when she dares to leave the land of daydreams (where inflation and pollution are mythical). She is inactive on Instagram but the account @wahidaisworking serves as her public digital footprint.
Wahida's work appears in NutMag Volume 6: Hope.

Wan Phing Lim was born to Malaysian parents in 1986 in Butterworth, Penang. Her short stories have appeared in Catapult (USA), Ricepaper Magazine (Canada), Kyoto Journal (Japan) and anthologies by Monsoon Books (UK), Ethos Books (Singapore), Fixi Novo (Malaysia), and Gerakbudaya (Malaysia). Her story 'Snake Bridge Temple' was selected for Kitaab's Best Asian Short Stories 2017 and Buku Fixi's New Malaysian Writing 2017.
Wan Phing's work appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea?, NutMag Volume 3: Island Living, NutMag Volume 4: Transitions, and Home Groan. She is currently our primary fiction editor. 
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Winston Lim is the author of two biographies, including one of the late Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew, and a Young Adult novel. His interests are varied and include some very esoteric subjects.
Winston's work appears in NutMag Volume 4: Transitions and Home Groan.
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Yee Heng Yeh currently works  as a Mandarin-to-English translator while writing in his spare time. His poetry has been featured in The KITA! Podcast, adda, Malaysian Millennial Voices, and Strange Horizons. His translations of poetry have also been published in Mantis and Nashville Review. You can find him on Twitter at @HengYeh42
​Heng Yeh's work appears in Home Groan, NutMag Volume 5: Lost, and NutMag Volume 6: Hope. He is currently our poetry editor.
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Yong-Yu Huang is a Taiwanese teenager who has lived in Penang for most of her life. Her work has been previously published by or is forthcoming in Kissing Dynamite, Hominum Journal, and Sine Theta Magazine. 
Yong-Yu's work appears in Home Groan.
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You Lin is a writer whose pieces explore darker themes consistent with the fragments of her identity. Her work has been published by Archer Magazine, The Bitchin' Kitsch, A Coup of Owls, and The Minison Project's Pop-Up Pride Issue, among others. Locally, you can find her work at Malaysian Indie Fiction and Queer Southeast Asia: A Literary Journal of Transgressive Art. When she's not writing self-deprecating poetry and fiction, you can find her questioning the purpose of her existence, overworking as usual, and losing faith in humanity.
You Lin's work appears in NutMag 7:  Inheritance.

Illustrators

Interior designer by day, illustrator by night, Belle Saw is an art & design enthusiast and has a strong curiosity about architecture. Despite settling in London, her heart has always been with her hometown, Penang Island, where she is exposed to rich local culture and cuisines. Her hobbies include travelling, visiting exhibitions and reading. She aspires to bring joy and inspiration to people through her creations and to promote art & design in Malaysia.
Belle is the cover artist for NutMag Volume 5: Lost, NutMag Volume 6: Hope and NutMag Volume 7: Inheritance.
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Winnie Cheng (ERYN) is a Penang-based artist who creates surreal compositions using drawing, painting, watercolours, collage, and paper and wood cut-outs. She loves to read and often uses writing as a point of inspiration for her art. Her work has been shown in local and regional art exhibitions and she received the Gold Award under the Emerging Artist category from UOB’s Painting of the Year (Malaysia) Competition in 2015. Winnie also participated in local art residencies and was selected as one of the artists for the Khazanah Nasional Associate Artist Residency Programme in London in 2018.
Winnie's writing appears in NutMag Volume 2: Coffee or Tea? , whilst her illustrations appear in Home Groan. She was also the cover artist for NutMag from 2017 to 2019 and Home Groan, and drew all the illustrations on this website. 
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X.Z. is an art hobbyist who enjoys dabbling in different mediums of art, from traditional to digital. Although mainly focused on character drawings, she enjoys the occasional attempt at other subjects in both concepts of fantasy and reality.
Born and raised on Penang island, she currently resides in neighbouring Singapore as a 3D Apparel Specialist at a tech company and spends the time in between daydreaming of her next inspiration.
When not creating illustration art, she can be found sifting through Netflix or exploring curated shops and cafes with friends. 
XZ's illustrations appear in Home Groan.
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