Grok Magazine sits down with Hojeswinee Kanagarajah, a third-year student who’s currently studying a double-major in Creative Writing and Journalism, as we begin to learn more about her contributions to Western Independent, Curtin Writers Club’s “Coze” publication, followed by any other opportunities her accomplishments have brought her so far.
It should be noted that this interview was conducted entirely online due to our interviewer and interviewee being unable to meet-up in person.
To start things off, we ask Hojeswinee about when she first started writing and reporting, as well as whether she had always intended to pursue a career in the creative writing or journalism field. “I’ve always loved reading since I was young, and that eventually evolved into writing. I wrote stories and essays in school, both in my English and Malay classes – and I started writing outside of school when I was sixteen.” She goes on to explain that whenever she did come up with story ideas, she would often begin writing them, yet would ultimately leave them unfinished and always kept them to herself.
When it came down to the possibility of pursuing her love for writing as a career, Hojeswinee confesses that as a child, she already felt rather fearful of choosing a career path to begin with. “I don’t think I ever had one area where I was like “ah yes, I definitely want to become this when I grow up”, because the thought of picking a path for the rest of your life was so daunting to me as a kid.” She admits. “I wanted to be an author, but I was unsure about whether it was a ‘realistic’ option or not. Around Year 12 however, I eventually realised that I did want to pursue writing or something that was still heavily involved in that area.”
Expanding on the topic, we inquire her about the initial reaction she received from her family upon informing them that she aspired to work within the writing industry. “I think my family were not surprised when I told them that I wanted to study Creative Writing, and when I picked Journalism as my second major.” Hojeswinee says. “They knew I always loved reading and writing – but of course, like any other art student, they did express concerns about my future career opportunities.”
Moving on, we question her about the forms of writing that she prefers to engage in. “I initially got accepted into Curtin after applying to get into a Creative Writing degree. I started doing Journalism as my second major in my second semester – and honestly, I’m really glad I did that.” Having provided some context behind her interests, Hojeswinee continues to express her love for creative writing.
“Alongside writing articles for Journalism, I mostly write fiction and short stories, though I have also tried my hand at poetry. But I must admit, I never felt comfortable sharing my poems outside of my Writing Poetry unit, as well as my Coze submission this year.” She laughs. “I tend to fall back onto realism, but I’ve been trying to experiment with other genres like horror and historical fiction. When it comes to reading though, I’ll read almost anything if the blurb appeals to me!”
As some of Hojeswinee’s assignments have been published through Western Independent, which is the online news website for Curtin University’s journalism program, we ask how her experience with contributing to Western Independent has personally benefited her, as well as her journalistic skills. “Honestly, I think it’s really great that journalism students get a chance to have their work published on Western Independent. It’s certainly motivated me to work a bit harder on my assignments with hopes that I can get them published and build my portfolio.” She expresses.
“My journalism classes have been really interesting and helpful. I got to dip my toes into several types of journalism, such as radio journalism and video journalism. And through those classes, I got to meet more people, conduct interviews in a variety of settings, and learned new perspectives on many different topics and issues which I probably would not have found out about if not for talking to the people involved first-hand. I also got to learn new skills and softwares like NewsBoss and Voicemeeter, and improve on my photography, videography and video editing skills. It was really nerve wracking at first to interview people I had never met before. It still is sometimes to this day, but my experience over these past three years has helped build my confidence and I can now get through interviews without feeling like I’m going to throw up halfway through.”
In addition to having her works be published through Western Independent, Hojeswinee has also received opportunities to distribute her creative pieces through Curtin Writers Club’s “Coze” publication. “It’s because of Curtin Writers Club that I received an opportunity to have my work published for the first time.” She explains. “After interacting with the editor of my story and other committee members while working on my Coze submission last year, it made me want to get more involved in the club. I attended the Annual General Meeting, and ended up getting an executive committee role, while also becoming an editor too. It’s been a great opportunity, and I’ve definitely learned a lot of new skills, met new friends, and learned first-hand about the behind-of-scenes work that goes into producing a literary publication.”
Wanting to find out if Hojeswinee has earned any similar opportunities while studying at Curtin University, we ask her if she’s made any other achievements. “Having my Western Independent experience and Coze publication on my resume as published writing really does help give your resume a boost. Last year, I applied for a trainee writer position, and I think being able to show the published articles on my resume helped to highlight my written skills and experience to the employer.”
Nearing the end of our discussion, we inquire her about what she plans to do with her degree after graduation. “Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do after I graduate at this stage. I don’t know if I want to continue studying, or start working.” Although she remains partially uncertain about her future, Hojeswinee points out the positive impact that her course has had on her so far.
“The good thing about this degree is that it allows me to work in a wide range of areas, so I’ve been experimenting across each of them to see which one I’d like to pursue further. Hopefully, I’ll find the niche that I’m truly passionate about and want to pursue soon! It’ll be really cool if I could just get paid to write whatever I want – no mandatory 9 to 5 office hours attached. That’s the dream.”
As we reach the end of our interview, Grok Magazine questions Hojeswinee if she has any advice for Curtin University students who intend to work in either the creative writing or journalism field. “I don’t think I’m at the stage where I can give students advice about working in the industry just yet. But if it’s for students who want to get more involved within those spaces, I’d say just put yourself out there.” She encourages. “I limited myself and didn’t put myself out there as much in my first two years of study, mainly because I thought I didn’t have enough experience to pursue some of the opportunities that came by. And I do regret that sometimes, because I would’ve graduated with a lot more industry experience if I hadn’t restricted myself like that.”
Despite taking a moment to reflect on her regrets, Hojeswinee proceeds to give our audience some thoughtful advice.
“If you see an opportunity, just take the leap and apply. You’re still a student, and these opportunities are another way to learn firsthand about working within those spaces. An internship that I had done last year led to a job, so you never really know what will happen unless you take that shot. There’s so many opportunities out there for students, and it’s a really great way to dip your toes into different industries and areas.”
If you’re interested in learning more about the journalistic and creative writing opportunities that Curtin University provides, feel free to check out Western Independent and Coze, where many students have previously published, and are still currently publishing their written works.
