5 Questions with Tiffany Ko
Tiffany Ko is a Chinese-Australian emerging writer living and practicing on Whadjuk Noongar boodja. Her work explores identity and belonging, especially within an Asian-Australian context, and can be found in To Hold the Clouds, and online in Journal, Pulch Mag, Singapore Review of Books and elsewhere.
No.1
Tell us about your involvement with Portside Review. How did it come about?
I’ve been connected with the wonderful team at the Centre for Stories since my internship there in 2019, and have always loved attending and being involved with the events and programs they run. When Creative Director Robert Wood reached out the following year, I was both honoured and excited to be a part of the editorial committee of Portside Review.
Meetings with the committee is like catching up with old friends. It’s been really great to see the familiar faces of Logan Griffiths and Camha Pham, as well as that of Robert Wood—all whom I met through the Centre. It feels like being back home with them on Aberdeen Street, and meeting the rest of the vibrant team, Ashwani Kumar, KG Ng and Sampurna Chattarji, has been so lovely as well. Brainstorming is always a lot of fun, and includes many chats over Zoom, intruding pets and discussions of dugongs along the way. It truly is a journal connecting people and islands across the vast ocean.
No.2
What kind(s) of writing are you interested in seeing or publishing in Portside Review?
I’m excited to read voices from all ports, especially writing that explores identity, belonging, and finding our place in the world. I see Portside Review as a safe haven, and hope to continue reading pieces that broach topics which might otherwise be silenced, unwelcomed or misunderstood in other spaces.
There will be four issues per year promising remarkable content from established and emerging writers. This is your friendly reminder to check the journal out and subscribe for a quarterly dose of sea salt, clams and maybe even dugongs.
No.3
You also work as an Events Marketing Assistant at Fremantle Press. How does this role influence the writing that you do, or is it completely separate?
My role has given me the pleasure of meeting many different authors from diverse backgrounds. I’m particularly inspired by ‘Own Voices’ stories, and loved reading Meet Me at the Intersection, an anthology edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina. It shares the memoirs, poems and short stories of eighteen authors who are First Nations, People of Colour, LGBTIQA+ or living with disability. In fact, Mimi Lee’s ‘Fragments’ in the anthology inspired me to write ‘Yàuhjagwái’ in To Hold the Clouds. Seeing such a positive reception to the genre is quite affirming, and has made me realise that this type of writing is read, wanted and needed.
No.4
As writers and editors, how do you think of the collaborative process between the two roles?
I think there’s a close relationship between the two roles—there’s a writer in the editor, and an editor in the writer. Perhaps one ‘side’ isn’t as fleshed out as the other, depending on the time spent to nurture these skills, but they are intrinsically linked. As a writer, one pulls from the critical eye of an editor to create writing that is nuanced. As an editor, one pulls from the perspectives or ideas of a writer to shape the writing in a way that nurtures the voice.
Taken together, it’s such an important relationship—there’s a misconception that it’s one-sided, where the editor ‘takes control’ of the writing. I don’t think this is true at all—or at least, in a good writer-editor relationship that doesn’t occur. The relationship is so special because as a collaborative process, the editor encourages the voice of the writer, and nurtures their confidence. Writers in turn share new concepts or viewpoints that the editor might not otherwise have considered. I think it is a beautiful relationship, and one that will benefit both long after the project is done.
No.5
What are you reading at the moment?
Currently I’m reading an anthology of Asian-Australian writing called Growing Up Asian in Australia (ed. Alice Pung), as well as a book I chanced upon while browsing in my local library called The Golden Country: Australia’s Changing Identity by Tim Watts.
In the current climate, with Asian hate on the rise, I find that I’m trying to seek support from people who have had the same experiences as I have, whether that be in ‘real life’ relations, or in the books I read. The stories in Growing Up Asian in Australia are relatable, humorous and feels like a warm hug from a community that understands you. The Golden Country: Australia’s Changing Identity has been interesting to perhaps trace the origins of ill-feelings toward the Asian community. In times like these, navigating the world can be particularly tricky, but having companions by your side may just be the comfort that’s needed.
I’m also going to add a sneaky plug for LIMINAL here, since I’m reading your anthology Collisions: Fictions of the Future as well. The stories are wide-ranging, brave and memorable, as well as relevant, especially in these climes. I love it! Definitely would recommend.
Portside Review is an online literary journal that celebrates cross-cultural community creation, and has major islands in Boorloo, Mumbai and Singapore. Its essays, short stories, poems, interviews and reviews are a window to the voices and lives of those from the Indian Ocean. You can set up an annual subscription here.