Year of Champions: Thanks to Tina Isaacs, local writers know they are never alone

We need to develop the writing talent in Malaysia, said Malaysia Writers Society co-founder Tina Isaacs. Photo: The Star/Ricky Lai

They say that writing is a lonely profession. Imagine a writer, and most people will probably imagine a lone person sitting at desk, a flask of coffee (or alcohol!) at his or her side, writing sentences long into the night.

Lawyer Syamsuriatina Ishak (who writes under the pen name Tina Isaacs), however, discovered it didn’t always have to be that way. While she was doing her Masters of Fine Arts in Tampa, Florida, she found herself a part of a warm and welcoming writing community, with various readings, gatherings and events always going on.