Centre for Stories: What do you do outside of writing?

Hojeswinee Kanagarajah: I’ve loved art from a young age, so I spend a lot of my free time exploring different mediums and crafts. Often this involves many half-finished art projects sitting in my room, but I’m slowly but surely working through them. A lot of my interests are aligned with art or similar creative things so I don’t think it’s much of a surprise to those around me, haha!

CFS: Why do you write?

HK: I write because it gives me an opportunity to explore the world – real, fictional, and everything in between. Every time I write, I get to experience and learn about something new, things I probably would have never known about in my day-to-day life. It’s thrilling how there are endless possibilities that come with writing. I get to revisit history, or create a whole new world, or even write from the perspective of an inanimate object. It’s fun. It’s freeing, almost.

CFS: It really is a wonderful way to make sense of the world and play in that world too. Have you always been into writing? Can you tell us when you decided to pursue writing and what triggered that decision?

HK: I was about sixteen, I think? I read a lot and had recently discovered a newfound love for writing. I remember one day thinking that this is what I want to do when I grow up. At that time, it was such a wild thought and I didn’t know how to actually go about it. I wrote snippets here and there of ideas I’d collected along the years, but only properly decided that I was going to pursue it when I chose to major in creative writing in university. I got to expand my writing style and wrote so much more since then, but still really didn’t push myself to get my work out there until 2021 when I submitted to Coze. I’m glad I took that step.

CFS: What are you currently reading and why?

HK: I recently finished reading Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi, it’s a prequel to their 2020 novel Pet. It’s a work of magical realism with social commentary that is very much reflective of the current state of our world. I enjoyed Pet and knew from the moment Bitter was announced that I had to read it. 

CFS: Would you say Bitter and Pet are inspiration for your current work?

HK: I really like Akwaeke Emezi’s writing style, especially the way they use language and construct characters. Their writing does make me think about how I want to utilise language and dialogues in my own work, but mostly I read it for enjoyment!

CFS: Did you have any ‘aha’ moments while you were on the hot desk?

HK: I think this ‘aha’ moment occurred multiple times throughout my fellowship. I would meet people, and they would ask me about what I’m working on right now, questions about my work and my writing with genuine curiosity and interest. It felt reaffirming to be able to just casually talk about writing in that way. Like wow, maybe I am a writer after all…

CFS: We can confirm, Hojeswinee, you are a writer! Based on your experiences in the writing industry, including your hot desk at Centre for Stories, what advice would you give to writers who are starting out or are unsure where to start?

HK: Your local writing club is always a great place to begin. It was through getting involved with Curtin Writers Club in university that I managed to get my first short story published in Coze. In 2022 I took a chance and applied as a committee member and got to be involved behind the scenes of editing and producing a writing journal, and I learnt so much from that experience. It was through the club that I learnt about the Centre for Stories too! 

‘Just give it a shot’ is a great motto to keep with you at all times. If you see an opportunity come your way, just go for it. Submit your writing, apply for opportunities you see – you lose nothing, and might gain something incredible in return.

CFS: And we’re so glad you took that chance! Centre for Stories is about taking things at your own pace, working with others, and providing a safe place for all. How has this space enabled you to think and explore your work?

HK: Centre for Stories is a warm, warm place. From the décor to the people, it felt welcoming from the very first day I stepped inside. Having a dedicated space to return to each week was comforting in a way, and it was one thing that I always looked forward to each week. Being able to have a routine like that and space dedicated to just sit down and write really helped me pick up regular writing again. I also got to meet some other writers and learn about the different ways in which they approach their writing, which in turn helped me reflect on my own writing process. I never felt like it was an obligation for me to write at the Centre for Stories, and that lack of pressure made the words flow so much easier. Writing felt natural. 

CFS: What will you be working on next?

HK: During my fellowship I’ve been able to make some progress on my historical fiction story, so I hope to continue working on that until it shapes up into a novel. Fingers crossed!