Inkwell Starts in Kuala Lumpur

Inkwell is going to start its first affiliated international location in Kuala Lumpur. Starting it is Hussin Alkheder, a veteran of Inkwell Shanghai, and the author of Daughter of Damascus.

While other international Inkwells exist, they are generally independent of Inkwell China. Hussin wanted to be linked up wtih Inkwell China, though, and I was glad to have my old friend with us again. We chatted for a bit about the start of Inkwell Kuala Lumpur.

So Hussin, I’m so glad to hear that you’ve been well. Tell me how you’ve been and what you’ve been up to.

In recent years, I faced some challenging times struggling with depression. In an effort to cure myself and help others, if possible, I decided to study psychology. Currently, I am pursuing my psychology degree in Kuala Lumpur.

For those Inkwell members who don’t know you, why don’t you tell them a little about yourself.

I am a self-published writer from Syria with four published books to my name. My first fiction book was titled The Daughter of Patience. However, after completing its sequel, I noticed a few plot holes and decided to rewrite it, changing the title to The Daughter of Damascus. I plan to republish it soon and continue the series with the sequel in a few months. (I need a few beta readers for The Daughter of Damascus.)

How was your experience in Inkwell?

The best thing happened to me during my time in Shanghai was becoming a part of the Inkwell family, which led to the publication of my short stories collection, Four Ladies. I am extremely grateful for having met and interacted with numerous talented writers from various countries in Shanghai.

So, you decided to start a writing group in Kaula Lumpur. What do you hope your writing group to be like?

I hope to recreate the wonderful experience I had in Shanghai here in KL. I aim to bring together enthusiastic members who can contribute and support each other as a close-knit family of writers. Just as I benefited greatly from Inkwell in Shanghai, I wish for other writers in KL to have the same luck and become a part of this amazing community.

Who can join this group?

Anyone with a passion for writing is welcome to join, whether they are published authors, aspiring writers, or have experience in the writing and publishing industry or need assistance in their writing journey, or even they didn’t start their writing journey and they wish to start now. All are invited to be a part of our group.

Why should someone join your group?

The writing journey can be a lonely and tough one, and having the support of fellow writers can keep us motivated and determined not to give up. I believe this is true for myself first. While I may not be in KL forever Inkwell will continue to be a support system here in Malaysia and hopefully in other countries, aiding and encouraging writers.

What kind of meetings are you having?

If we are fortunate enough to find the same enthusiastic and talented individuals I met in Shanghai, we can conduct similar meetings to those we have there. This includes workshops of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Currently, I plan to announce the first fiction workshop in a few weeks on meetup, and all interested are welcome to join.

How can someone join your meetings?

Meetings can be accessed through meetup or the official Inkwell website, after starting the meetings we will create a WhatsApp group also.

Finally, why do you like writing?

Writing is my way of making a difference in the world, and I intend to continue writing until the end of my days.