Archives: Authors

Rati Arora is an internationally certified health and wellness coach with over a decade of experience in corporate roles. Her transition into motherhood brought a powerful lesson: self-care is not a luxury, but a necessity. Soon, she realigned her career with her true passion and Ikigai.

Through her journey, she discovered that those who care for others—especially women—often neglect their own emotional and physical well-being.

Embracing the belief that ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’, Rati now dedicates herself to helping women entrepreneurs and professionals reclaim balance, confidence, and a sense of self, aside from investing in parenting courses.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Rati cherishes one of her most personal Ikigai: her role as a mother to her son, Nihit.

Originally from Chennai, Sumathy has spent more than twenty-five years making Kobe—a city in central Japan—her home.

Starting her life in Japan as a homemaker, Sumathy explored diverse professional interests that shaped her varied career. A firm believer in lifelong learning through people’s experiences and reading, she finds inspiration in everyday encounters that continue to shape her worldview—something that kindled her fascination with Ikigai.

A mother of two, she draws inspiration from her children and spends time discovering Japan’s hidden gems.

Ho Lin Lee was born and raised in Singapore, where she still calls home. Her lifelong passion for writing has been a constant thread throughout a diverse career encompassing the civil service, publishing and education. She has written several educational books and won third prize for a short story in the 2009 Golden Point Award, Singapore’s premier creative writing competition. With Claire, her debut novel, she embarks on a new chapter in her writing journey, crafting stories longing to be told.

Faris has played roles in policy, strategy, research, manpower planning, teaching, facilitating, coaching, and mentoring in the arts. He has held leadership roles with Singapore’s Public Service, the United Nations, a leading tech company, a global climate change and mental health advisory and in other capacities. He has published in Malay and English, through platforms like Taylor and Francis, Springer Nature, The Straits Times, and Berita Harian, alongside writings in poetry and film review. He won five international music awards and one local.

Founded by Janet DeNeefe in 2004, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is one of the world’s leading literary events, held annually in the cultural heart of Bali. Each October, it gathers thousands of literature enthusiasts, offering them the opportunity to engage with renowned writers, poets, and thinkers from around the world.

In addition to thought-provoking literary discussions, the festival presents a rich cultural program featuring traditional Indonesian dance and performances, literary lunches, guided tours of Ubud’s historic sites, late-night festival club, musical and spoken word galas, book launches, and interactive workshops designed to nurture emerging writers and young creatives.

As a celebration of storytelling, ideas, and artistic expression, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival remains a vibrant meeting place for those seeking inspiration, connection, and dialogue through literature and culture.

Mehdi Bouhassoune is a market research professional with academic credentials from the University of Strasbourg, the University of Birmingham, the London School of Economics, and the University of York. His career has spanned different global market research companies, where he has supported a wide array of advertisers, businesses, governments, and researchers in decoding the decision-making and behaviors of consumers. As a researcher, practitioner, and consumer himself, Mehdi brings a unique yet approachable perspective to understanding the science behind everyday purchases.

Sarah Kushairi is a clinical pharmacist and lecturer, born and raised in Malaysia, with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy, International Practice and Policy from University College London (UCL).

At 12, Sarah dreamed of becoming a published author and ambitiously began writing her first Harry Potter-inspired novel. She made it through two whole chapters before deciding that maybe she’d come back to it later—she didn’t.

Still, her love for writing never faded. Her articles on health and beauty have been featured in various Malaysian newspapers, and she’s even popped up on TV and radio to share her insights.
Her personal anecdote “Tudung Mana?” found a home in the anthology Hijab: Everyday Stories of Muslim Women from Singapore and Beyond (Helang Books, 2023). When her Master’s coursework got too intense, Sarah channeled the chaos into self-publishing her first travelogue, Snippets of Travels: Musings and Travelogues across 5 Countries (Amazon KDP, 2024)—proving that stress can be a surprisingly effective creative fuel. Her upcoming non-fiction book, The Art of Embracing Failure (Karangkraf, 2025), dives into the messy, honest truths about finding strength in setbacks.

Jannah is ^NOT Average is her debut novel, inspired by two true stories from her days as a science stream student in 2006-2007 Malaysia.

Omar Musa is an author, poet, rapper, and visual artist, based between Brooklyn and Borneo. He has released three poetry books (including Killernova), four hip hop records, and written an acclaimed one man play, Since Ali Died. He was named one of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Novelists of the Year in 2015 for his novel Here Come the Dogs. He received a standing ovation at TEDx Sydney at the Sydney Opera House. Omar’s book of poetry and woodcut art Killernova (Penguin Random House Australia, 2021) explored themes such as borderlessness, South-East Asian colonial history, ancestral legacies, seafaring, islands, oceans, addiction, and race in Australia. It celebrated his unexpected journey into woodcut prints under the tutelage of punk rock/activist collective Pangrok Sulap in his homeland of Malaysian Borneo. Killernova won the Special Book Award at ACT Notable Book Awards, was longlisted for Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, and Highly Commended for the ACT Book of The Year.

In 2018, Omar wrote a one man play, Since Ali Died, for Griffin Theatre Company, about the death of his childhood hero Muhammad Ali. It was an exploration of his relationship with Islam, Australian racism, friendship, and addiction. Musa did a critically acclaimed national tour of Since Ali Died in venues such as Melbourne Arts Centre, Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival, Canberra Theatre, OzAsia Festival in Adelaide and Darwin Festival.

Omar’s debut novel, Here Come the Dogs (Penguin Australia, The New Press USA, 2014/2015), explored themes such as Australian racism, powerlessness, and masculinity. Here Come the Dogs won the People’s Choice Award at the ACT Book of Year Awards, was long-listed for the Dublin International Literary Award and Miles Franklin Award, and was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for New Writing and the South Australian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction.

Omar has had several solo exhibitions of his woodcut prints, including All My Memories Are Mistranslations at Humble House Gallery in Canberra.

Omar has performed at venues such as the Brixton Academy in London, Sydney Opera House, Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City and The National Museum in Brasilia, Brazil and appeared at international writers festivals such as Sydney Writers Festival (Australia), Read My World Festival (Netherlands), Lagos International Poetry Festival (Nigeria), Edinburgh International Book Festival (Scotland), Toronto International Festival of Authors (Canada), Makassar International Writers Festival (Indonesia), among others. He has performed alongside writers such as Ocean Vuong, Irvine Welsh, and Kae Tempest.

Darius Foroux is the author of 7 books, and founder of The Sounding Board. A past student of business, he writes about productivity, habits, decision making, and wealth building His ideas and work have been featured in TIME, NBC, Fast Company, Inc., Observer, and many more publications. 500K+ people read his blog every month, which he started in 2015 and uses as his main platform to connect with individuals across the globe who read his work or need guidance.

Edward Tse is a widely acclaimed leading business strategist and thought leader in China. Born and raised in Hong Kong and educated in the United States, he has more than 30 years of management consulting and senior corporate management experience.

Tse is the Founder and CEO of Gao Feng Advisory Company, a China-rooted strategic consultancy established in 2014. He began his consultancy career at McKinsey & Company in San Francisco in the late 1980s. In the early 1990s he moved to China to work as Managing Partner for China at Boston Consulting Group and then as Managing Partner and Chairman for Greater China for Booz & Company (previously Booz Allen Hamilton).

He has consulted to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Chinese and Shanghai governments. He has served on the boards of several Chinese companies and a China-focused international investment trust. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Hong and Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Professor of Managerial Practice at Beijing’s Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.

Tse has written two previous books about China in English, China’s Disruptors (2015) and The China Strategy (2010). He has also written four books in Chinese: Direction (2007), Surpass (2012), The New Frontier of Competition (2020, co-authored with Yu Huang) and Strategic Thinking in the Era of Mega Changes (2022). His articles have appeared in publications including Harvard Business Review, Washington Post, Forbes, and South China Morning Post.