The notebook that became a Penang writer’s first book

For Jenny Hor, becoming a published author did not start with a writing contract or a carefully plotted manuscript. It started with a notebook packed into a suitcase on a trip from Penang to Sydney.

She returned to Australia more than two decades after first visiting as a child. This Penang travel writer documented the trip by hand — an effort to preserve memories before they faded. Those scribbled notes became Sydney 21 Years Later. The self-published travelogue marked her debut in long-form writing.

A member of MyWriters Penang, Hor says her relationship with writing stretches back to her teenage years. “I found joy in writing when I was 14 years old. I thought it would be great to attempt writing on my own,” she told The Sun.

Finding a community and a voice in Penang

A self-described mega-introvert, Hor initially wrote purely for her own enjoyment. After secondary school, she decided to pursue writing as both a passion and a profession. She eventually studied English with Creative Writing at university in the United Kingdom.

Her link to Penang’s writing scene began through NutMag, the yearly literary zine by MyWriters Penang. Her short story Application appeared in NutMag Volume 6, themed Hope. Wa Si Hokkien Lang followed in Volume 7, themed Inheritance. Tea Break appeared in Volume 8, themed Harmony. By then she had returned from the UK, ready to re-engage with Malaysia’s writing community.

In 2024, she published her first short story collection, Bukit Bintang Happenings, under Working Desk Publishing. It was her first step into commercial publishing. The travelogue came next.

“Being part of MyWriters helped me understand I am not alone in the creative arts,” she said.

From forgotten memories to a finished book

Long before becoming an author, Hor had developed a habit of recording her travels in notebooks. The entries were meant as personal keepsakes. Over time, as the memories faded, they became something more valuable.

“Over time, I began to forget the details of my trips. My illegible writing did not help much either,” she said. Back in Sydney as an adult, she compared her childhood memories with the city in front of her.

Published in 2025, Sydney 21 Years Later blends memoir, photography and travel writing. It captures landmarks, fleeting encounters and quiet moments that shaped her time in the city. The book holds two Sydneys — one a child remembered, one an adult found.

Making the book meant learning far more than just writing. Hor taught herself book design and layout from scratch using Adobe InDesign. Fellow MyWriters member Wilson Khor helped her obtain an ISBN and price the finished book. “Self-publishing involves trials and errors,” she said.

What comes next from Jenny Hor

Hor is already working on another travelogue centred on Kyoto and Osaka. A recent trip to Kyushu has sparked fresh ideas. Several short stories sit in her Google Drive. They are waiting, as she puts it, to escape work-in-progress jail.

When she is not writing, she explores unfamiliar places, experiments with recipes and searches for a good cup of matcha. She is sceptical of where modern travel is heading.

“Travel can be more about the spontaneous moments, surprising discoveries, and unexpected friends made along the way,” she said. She believes too many travellers now chase viral destinations and social media moments at the expense of genuine experience.

From hurried notebook scribbles to a published memoir, Hor’s path has been shaped by curiosity and attention to detail. With several projects already in the pipeline, her next story may only be a trip away