At that early age, she already had her sights set on The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme, years before she was eligible to apply.
“In fact, it annoyed me that I couldn’t join earlier!” she said, laughing.
Today, Hanna, 41, is an award-winning Malaysian author with bestselling books for kids and teens, including The Weight of Our Sky, Hamra & The Jungle of Memories, and The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s.
But long before her literary success came foundational lessons as a young journalist.
In 2001, Hanna, then 16, finally met the minimum age requirement to apply for BRATs. She leapt at the chance, ready to learn the craft from the ground up.
At the BRATs camp in Genting Highlands, Hanna and her group were assigned to interview visitors and write about their Genting experience.
A senior facilitator reviewed their draft and pointed out that the article was a little boring and clichéd.
The critique struck a chord with Hanna: “(It was) not in a mean tone, to be clear! He was giving us much-needed feedback.”
As it was her first real attempt at journalistic writing, she immediately realised that good writing alone wasn’t enough; she needed to learn how to truly captivate an audience and avoid stereotypical phrasing.
“A good writer doesn’t (automatically) make a good journalist. I never forgot it,” she said.
The insights were also enriched by many more hands-on experiences, with Hanna fondly recalling being selected for a BRATs trip to Mabul Island, Sabah, in 2003.
Participants took part in several activities, including making reef balls, which help replenish natural reefs and support marine life.
As her journey progressed, Hanna found herself facilitating workshops and camps, stepping up to guide others even as she honed her own voice.
Other opportunities also shaped her growth.
“I was very grateful to Ju Eng, who was in charge at the time, because she’d give me opportunities to write for The Star’s Metro section between SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) exams and college, or during school breaks. She sent me on interviews and let me collect precious bylines to build my portfolio and skills,” she said.
Hanna also credited tight deadlines and unfamiliar environments as her proving ground.
“My BRATs experience meant that I went to journalism school in America better prepared for its challenges and the experiences to come.
“Those journalistic muscles – juggling deadlines, conducting research, digging up leads, interviewing – are all the same muscles I use in writing fiction now,” she said.
Looking back, Hanna said her younger self would be surprised she didn’t become a journalist.
“It was such a focus of my life for so many years... though I do think it was because at the time, I didn’t see any possibility of making a living through fiction,” she shared.
But she has since found her stride in fiction.
Hanna believes that stories, whether fiction or non-fiction, don’t simply appear out of thin air – they must be excavated, uncovered bit by bit.
“If you don’t have the curiosity to keep asking yourself what comes next, or the tenacity to keep digging even when it seems like all you’ve done is make a mess, you don’t get anywhere,” she said.
It’s a philosophy that has shaped her work.
Hanna is currently working on several projects, though she’s keeping the details under wraps.
She said one thing is certain: her name will continue to appear on bookshelves for the foreseeable future.
Her message to the next generation is: “Make your art. Make good art, bad art, mediocre art, art for public consumption, art you never show a single other person. Make the thing you’ve always wanted to make. Make the thing that scares you.”
“In a world that tells us AI (artificial intelligence) is the future and machines will rule the day, your art, in all its glorious, messy, radiant humanity, is what we need,” she added.
This feature is part of a series spotlighting alumni of The Star’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme in celebration of Star Media Group’s 55th anniversary. Since 1993, the programme has benefited thousands of Malaysian teenagers, instilling journalistic instincts and ethics, and above all, a spirit of curiosity. To stay connected, visit facebook.com/niebrats or follow @starbrats.
With the theme of the article in mind, carry out the following English language activities.
1 Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
Share your career aspiration with your classmates and explain the steps you are taking to develop your skills.
2 Hanna advised students to keep practising their craft consistently, especially in the age of AI. In what ways do you create original work that reflects your own ideas?
The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme promotes English language learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
