Catherine Khoo
Founder
In this interview, we speak to the dynamic woman, Catherine Khoo behind the Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation and the entire Young Author ecosystem. We look back on her journey over the last 20 years, chart her journey with the written word, and dig deeper into the vision behind the creative ecosystem for children she has built.
When and how were you first drawn to the power of the written word, and how did you start pursuing it?
When I was 13, I submitted a short story to The Straits Times for a writing competition. It won a mention in the papers, and was featured. That really meant something to me.
The story was based on a neighbour I had when I was a child. Her name was Sheela, and she had to abruptly return to her hometown in India because she was betrothed to be married. Mind you, this was over 50 years ago.
I remember her being extremely sad about her departure. After she left for India, I never heard from her again. But her story made an impact on me, and I wanted to tell it.
I ended up writing a short story about Sheela, a girl who married a man who ill-treated her and abused her. In the story, Sheela kills the husband, when she couldn’t take it anymore. When it got published in The Straits Times, I realised the power of the written word and the potential it had to change somebody’s life through words.
Decades later, at 30, I was doing mostly administrative work, and at that point, I realised that if I wanted to work in the field of writing, I had to start right away. So I worked as an editorial assistant for three years with an organisation which published guidebooks. After this job, I went on to work with a Japanese think tank, PHP Institute, that published business magazines.
I started off as regional editor and, soon enough — when they wanted to start a new magazine — I became editor-in- chief. In 1995, I conceived Asia 21, this new magazine about breakthrough business concepts in Japan and Asia.
This was a turning point; I really loved putting the magazine together. I felt a sense of ownership towards it, and interviewed a lot of interesting Asian movers and shakers while working on it. Among them were CEOs, such as Hong Kong’s Gordon Wu, China’s renowned film-maker Zhang Yimou and former presidents, including Indonesia’s Gusdur and ROC Taiwan’s Lee Teng-hui. It was from here that I learnt the value of entrepreneurs always putting society first.
Tell us about the Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation, when you set it up, and what your vision was when it started.
In 2002, I took over Janus Education. I am an author and editor, and running a business was scary. My work mainly consisted of going to schools to market enrichment workshops.
I have to thank Mr. Ong from Anderson Primary School for his support. He was the one who asked me, “So you’re an author, you write — can you teach my kids to write?”
I thought to myself — I had learnt to write, myself, as a teenager, so why not teach teenagers to write? I said yes, and that’s how the Young Author Scheme started. In 2005, I approached some publishers to see if they would publish the writing of these children. The editor told me there’s no commercial value in kids’ work, and that kids could not write. Who would buy a kid’s book?
After that interaction, I decided to start a publishing company of my own, and I called it Experiences & Experiments. I started publishing my rst few books around 2007-2008.
From the Young Author Scheme, the Young Author Award was born, and then the publishing company. That’s the ecosystem.
The Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation (CKWF) was born around 2010. Because I place such heavy emphasis on values in my work, I pair my young authors with kids from less-privileged backgrounds and they come together to create and put out books.
We have two CKWF projects this year, and the idea is to raise funds for the Cavite children from the Philippines, for much-needed food and medicine.
The writers learn that what they’re doing is for a good cause, and I hope to inculcate the value of empathy. I think it’s integral for an author to understand the importance of giving back to society with your craft.
Could you share an anecdote or two from your journey that shifted or radically altered your perspective when it comes to storytelling, specifically for children?
The first Young Author Scheme was a critical one. I had no idea what to expect. I just knew I wanted to coach kids to write. You were actually one of the children who stood out! The word limit was 3,000 words that first year of YAS, and, when you came along and gave me 21,000 words, it was astounding!
At that point, YAS was an experiment and I’m actually very glad for you, because it cemented my point of view that kids can write!
It has to start with a creative spark in the kid. What I aim to do is just bring it out.
Could you tell us about a book that you have written that you personally really enjoyed working on, and why?
In 2013, I decided to write my memoir. It’s titled Love! Live Dangerously And Have Fun! I think that pretty much sums up my life.
My readers, mostly women, have told me that the vignettes about my life I painted were brutally frank! Memoirs should be totally honest, shouldn’t they? I also wrote about my journey with the Young Author Scheme, and about what I wanted out of life. I was 52 then, and — at 52 — you come to a certain understanding about your own life. It’s like having an epiphany.
What’s in the cards next for the Catherine Khoo Writing Foundation?
I spent 20 years building the Young Author ecosystem. I turn 63 in December 2022. Over the next few years, I intend to focus my energy on projects to give a voice to the marginalised, especially children, to tell their own story.
I intend to nurture creativity within my young authors, and for them to work with these children or to raise funds with the books they write. Building the next generation of thinkers and writers. It’s a huge challenge! I’m taking it one step at a time.
Life is not always about being the best, it’s sometimes about doing what you want to do and love to do on your own terms. You write, not necessarily to become an author, but just to express yourself. After all, writing is very therapeutic and cathartic. I hope to set off that special spark in somebody.
There are two sayings that inspire me every day: Gandhi’s Be the change you want to see in the world, and Mother Teresa’s It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.
Gwendolyn Yap
Editor
Hello! My name is Gwendolyn Yap, or Gwen for short. I am currently residing in Singapore. I am the current (soon-to-be former) editor of Young Reader Club, and I helped Catherine in editing books and managing social media in the past.
I am a Year 4 university student now! But back when I met Catherine, I was in my 2nd year of university. I used to work in part-time retail at Lush Cosmetics while juggling school, but soon found myself burnt out. So I left my job and wanted to do something else that was not so taxing on my mental health, while allowing me to expand my interest in writing and English. Just then, one of my Polytechnic friends, Jezreel (also a former Young Author), told me that Catherine was looking for help with publishing for Janus Education. So I jumped at the chance and had been here ever since.
One interesting thing about my teenage years (which is not that far in the past really!) is that I studied in a school filled with nature – and that led to many fantastical experiences for me. I was a student at Chung Cheng High School (Main), where the school was famous for their natural school ‘lake’. Because of the lake, there were many flora and fauna that resided in the area. We even had a resident family of herons! One of my favourite things to do is to count the number of herons on the roof top (usually no less than 5) while I was bored in class, and amuse myself with looking for the green parrots that reside in the holes of the tree.
The birds in the area are really quite amusing. Once, I looked out of the window on the fourth floor, and saw a crow having an intense standoff with a small furry owl. It caused so much commotion that all four classes on the fourth floor left their classrooms to stare at the fight. Everyone was supporting the owl because it looked so small and adorable. In retrospect, crows wouldn’t attack unless threatened, and owls are known to steal eggs. So perhaps we were wrongfooted in our support.
Due to the vibrant nature present on our school grounds, my favourite English teacher Mr Ahmad – Mr Ah as we affectionately call him – will often bring us out of the classroom to go on walks around the school grounds. We will recite Shakespearean poetry and write our own poetry inspired by the nature around us. It was thanks to Mr Ah that I grew a passion for all things literature, and found beauty and strength in words well-chosen.
Rafi
Curriculum Developer/PYAA Organiser
Hi! I am Rafi. I am based in the Philippines and I started as a head trainer for Unique English Classroom under Janus Education. My tenure in Janus is as old as my 4-year-old son. I would train new teachers and franchisees how to guide children to be young authors. When the pandemic started, I was tapped by Catherine to create an online story writing curriculum for game writers. I write the curriculum and the script as well for the mentor’s teaching videos to be uploaded in the online classroom.
I am a writer by heart and no matter what career I choose, I am always led to the shores of writing. I was in business administration, trading, teaching, producing for TV and marketing but I had the best time was when I was writing and being creative while working.
I was initially a marketing associate for Enrich Asia, but they noticed how well written my work was, and recommended me as head trainer for UEC. I was enamoured all the more when I met Catherine, founder of UEC. I was so overwhelmed at first to be appointed as the head trainer but when I met her for the first time, I felt secured and supported. The task started to feel less like a job but more of a calling. I have been with Janus ever since.
When I was in high school, I was known to be the script writer. I have adapted stories to plays for the class to perform. I liked this role because I get to share the limelight without actually being in the spotlight. And most importantly, I didn’t have to stay too long after class for rehearsals because the script was done! One time, I was once again assigned to convert a novel into a play —Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.
I was challenged to convert all 63 chapters in one hour of script. I was writing for days, committed to jam everything in. The night before the deadline, I was faced with 50 pages of script with a total running time of two hours. For the first time in my life, I did not stop rewriting until I have an hour’s worth of script at 3am in the morning. I was excited to submit the final work the next day, right on time.
I woke up with the sun so high up. When I checked the time, school started two hours ago! My mom did not wake me up because I told her that I didn’t want to go to school. But I could have been sleep talking! I was fuming and in-between tears, I took a bath and commuted alone to school. When I arrived to class, my friends teased me for being so early for tomorrow’s class. I didn’t mind and went out to find the class adviser to submit the final script. She appreciated that I submitted on time and told me she’ll give feedback and look at it next week. I was on the verge of forcing her to have a look right then and there but I held myself back. I finished writing and for me, that was all that mattered.
Gavin
Digital Engineer
My name is Gavin. I currently live in Guangzhou (nowhere new Wuhan), China. I have a degree in software engineering and mainly provide help in the digitalization transition of Janus Education materials. I would be in charge of a new podcast which is launching mid 2022.
Well, my journey with Janus Education started with curry rice. Back in the days when I was in University, Catherine’s daughter and I were university mates so we will hang out together a lot. Catherine would often come and visit her daughter in Australia.
One day, Catherine asked me if I would join them for dinner. Naturally, knowing I’m a Chinese who had never had Indian cuisine before, Catherine chose to order curry rice takeout and that’s how we got introduced to each other. (From Catherine: I didn’t know that was how we met! Must be quite a unforgettable spicy experience, Gavin!)
From then on, Catherine would offer me some project from time to time and that’s how I got to be a part of Team Janus!
There really isn’t much for me to be nostalgic about. Maybe I’m not at that age yet? It feels like I’m still in my teenage years to be honest. But there was one hilarious moment I do remember. My friends and I were playing soccer after school. After a few passes, the ball was flying towards one of my friends, a chubby short little kid, who’s not so talented at sports. He was right there inside the box, facing the opposition goal. He kept his eyes on the ball, planted his left foot firmly on the ground and brought his right leg back as far as possible and went for the ball then BANG… We saw him jumping awkwardly on one leg as his boot left his right foot making a perfect curve in the air and landed right in the goal. It was both hilarious yet amazing at the same time. It has been years but yet I can still clearly remember how it happened!
Channy
Illustration Instructor
My name is Chang Shiang aka Channy the illustrator. I am currently living in Singapore. I have been doodling for 30 years. I started drawing at age four and realised drawing helps me to connect better with myself and others.
During my teenage years, I love to doodle in my textbooks while ‘listening’ to my teachers in class. Usually I sit at the back of the classroom. While the teacher were teaching, guess what I was doing? Not paying attention and drawing in my textbook!
When I was a boy, I was introverted. So drawing helped me to communicate with myself and others. Also, my learning style was visual, so drawing helped me to pay attention too. Drawing tells stories and I enjoy the process. When I grew up, I believe that everyone can draw. Along my working years and even now, I use drawing as a tool to convey my messages and teaching. Due to my work, I published a book titled How to draw 29 simple animals in 29 minutes.
One day, I was referred to Catherine Khoo when she needed someone to teach her students to illustrate book covers. I was blessed to be given this role as it is my passion to teach and illustrate at the same time. I love seeing students expressing their stories into pictures. That brings a big smile to my face. My mission in life is to help more people uncover their creativity and stories within them. At the same time… Think Differently.
Spark Tan
Web Master
My name is Spark Tan. I am from Singapore. I am currently running a digital development company, Q-Digital which specialized in website development, Web and Mobile App development. I spend time catching up on my favourite anime series and play with my 3-year old-boy whenever I am free. I work as a web master for Janus Education and as graphic designer for banners and posters if required.
I develop the first website which is Flash based for Janus Education in 2007. I was also involved in creating banners for the Young Author Awards in 2008. In fact, I created the pencil mascots for the seven story genres that you see on the Young Author Books. I had been working closely with Catherine for 18 years and was amazed by Catherine’s passion and determination in nurturing thinking and writing in kids. I love being a part of Team Janus and I am excited to see how it will evolve in the coming years.
When we talk about our teenage years, one place that bring fond memories to me is. Taman Jurong! I studied in Jurong Secondary School at Yuan Ching Road, part of Taman Jurong. There are a few places which I used to hang out with my friends.
One of them is SuperBowl Jurong. It is an entertainment complex located at the southern end of Taman Jurong, a 10-minute walk from my school. We don’t do much bowling as it was a luxury sport for us at that time. However, we spent most of time playing Street Fighter 2 in arcade. We mastered combos and special moves of the game character to challenge other players. Everyone in our age understands what is Hadooken and Shoryuken then.
Besides playing at the arcade, we will also stop by a now-defunct Japanese departmental store, Yaohan. It is super-market and also a bakery. My friend and I used to grab delicious breads and drinks from there. The other hangout was the hawker centre. Having a cold ice jelly drink or Ice Kachang in the hawker centre is usually what we do after school before heading home.
One of the reasons is to avoid congestion on the bus back home. We would chitchat and sometimes we play soccer near the hawker centre. The only problem is that when I reach home, sometimes I cannot finish my dinner and would usually get a scolding from my mother.
Xiao Ge
Editorial Assistant
Hello, my name is Xiao Ge and I’m from Malaysia! I recently got a degree in Psychology, and I’d love to pursue a Master’s in Clinical Psychology in the near future. For now, I hope to explore the real world before going back to my studies. I am the editorial assistant of Janus Education and I’m excited to kick-start this journey with Catherine!
My family and I first met Catherine on a day trip to Singapore. It wasn’t exactly a vacation as my father had a meeting scheduled with Catherine, intending to bring UEC’s franchise to Malaysia. We tagged along because we were promised crab noodles. My sister and I were (still am!) obsessed with this particular crab noodle in Singapore, an absolute must-eat for us whenever we visit this beautiful, modern country. This was back in 2017, and that was probably the last time we ever tasted that scrumptious, milky broth.. (ahh.. just thinking about it makes me crave it so much all over again!)
Since then, Catherine would come over to Malaysia from time to time, especially when the franchise first started out. She would conduct workshops for the students and I remembered helping out here and there, amazed by her passion and ability to freestyle. I’ve never really worked for Catherine until this year, in which I assisted her with MYAA 2022. I have been with her from then on.
I would say the best thing that happened during my teenage years was meeting Sherry, my pet dog since I was 13. I can still remember as clear as crystal the day when I first met her. The last puppy in the kennel who crazily ran towards me the moment she was released. I felt attached ever since. Sherry showed me that unconditional love exists and has taught me a lot. Whether she’s eating her favourite food or going for an evening walk, she lives in the moment and enjoys the simplest things in life. It was Sherry that taught me to appreciate life and to find beauty in the mundane!
Edwina Ruslie
Writer
Hello joyous readers! My name is Edwina Ruslie. I am an Indonesian student during the day, and a dreamer at night. I have been living in Adelaide, South Australia, for about three years and counting. I have a bachelor’s degree in Arts, majoring in English and Creative Writing. Nevertheless, even though my degree and passion circulate around the love of novels and English language, not only do I have guilty pleasure of being a cinephile (especially for Alfred Hitchcock’s movies—I believe that they’re international treasures that need to be preserved), but I also enjoy watching sappy rom-coms in Netflix whilst being wrapped burrito-style in my Panda Oodie during the bone-chilling nights.
I took a big leap by taking double major in English and Creative Writing at uni, and I couldn’t be happier that I get to pursue a higher education in something that gives me both joy and comfort. Surprisingly, I met Catherine at this history course that I took for my Masters’ degree. The very first reason I took this course was because I knew I was going to encounter different forms of historical storytelling. When she offered me a position as a writer for a new series for Janus Education, I was beyond ecstatic, especially because as a teenager, I was in love with young adult fictional stories. I believe that no matter how old you are, it is never too early nor too late to write about something that keeps you awake late at night because you are too excited to go to bed by just thinking about it.
Ever since I was five years old, the art of storytelling has never failed to pull me into its enigmatic charm. Prior my residency in Australia, I used to live in a small town in Indonesia where everyone would be connected to each other because they knew everyone’s first and second cousins—that’s how miniscule it was. Finding a library with a great range of books that quenched my thirst for stories could be quite challenging, so whenever my dad came home from his trip to a big city, he always remembered to bring me some “souvenirs” in the form of classic children’s books like Peter Pan, One Thousand and One Nights, and Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. I would read them for the hundredth time, and I would picture a hundred of different endings in my mind. At the age of ten, I managed to manifest my imagination into the electronic white paper of Microsoft World. I created a personal blog where I could safely post my stories. It wasn’t until I entered the university that I started to take writing to a more professional setting, and I am excited to see where this writing/editing journey will lead me.