Chloe Hor studied English with Creative Writing at UNM and graduated in 2019. At UNM, she was involved in a few student-led magazines where she was an editor for the literary magazine Particle, a Junior Writer for Ignite, and a writer for DAG magazine.
Not only is Chloe an emerging writer since age 9, but she also pens both prose and poetry. Her poems were published in Year of the Rat and Other Poems, a collection of winning poems from the 2021 Malaysian Poetry Writing Competition.
Her short story was longlisted in the 2022 Malaysian Short Story Writing Competition and published in the related collection, A Chance Encounter at Sungai Chiling and Other Stories. She was also recently published in The Best Asian Short Stories 2023 anthology, and her works have been included in the Wasteland of Malaysian Poetry in English exhibition.
While pursuing her dream of publishing a novel, Chloe works in Kuala Lumpur as a Search Engine Optimization Executive cum Copywriter at One Search Pro. In 2023, her published work in the anthology A Chance Encounter at Sungai Chiling and Other Stories was launched at the Georgetown Literary Festival 2023.
“The first creative writing circle I went to was what I consider to be the starting point of my journey as a writer at UNM,” said Chloe. “I remember feeling exhilarated and relieved that I had finally found like-minded people who understood a side of me that I rarely got to share.”
When asked about her experience at UNM, Chloe stated that UNM felt like a small global society, only so much friendlier. She found it to be the perfect place to study and soul-search at the same time.
“I was taught by experienced educators and published authors who expanded my perspectives and ignited my creative passion. I spent a lot of time in Particle, UNM’s digital literary magazine, and the Literature and Drama Society (LADS), which exposed me to some brilliant writers and artists. And I got to watch my writing blossom and mature throughout my years there,” said Chloe.
To Chloe, writing is—to some degree—inseparable from self-esteem, and UNM did a stellar job of building hers while still encouraging her to grow and be vulnerable.
“My experience at UNM gave me the courage to submit my work to national and international contests and achieve my dream of getting published.”
You may support Chloe and get yourself a copy of A Chance Encounter at Sungai Chiling and Other Stories through Gerak Budaya.
Posted on 8th February 2024