Ika eats Keropok Lekor at Chawan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I first met Ika on the set of Bella TV, where we were spending our Saturday enthusiastically discussing women and freedom in Malaysia. It was an intriguing and sometimes tense experience, but it was wonderful. And Ika was most certainly a huge part of that.

The first thing I learnt about Ika was that she has a Dutch ancestry and has to spell out her last name to people often - Koeck. The second, is that she has a very large thing for fantasy.

So large, that she writes it.

Ika is a Fantasy Fiction Author. She has written two novels and also spends her days as an Acquisitions Editor. First starting out as a scriptwriter when she was only 17, she’s now deep into her third novel, and explores a heavy interest in the medieval era, Celtic culture, the golden age of piracy, horse-riding and Skyrim.

That first day we met, I also discovered her strength, determination and fearlessness. She told the story of being turned away multiple times by Malaysian publishers. Here Ika pushed onwards and instead looked overseas. There she found chances and seized them. She has now been published in three anthologies and returned to recognition from those that turned her away in the first place. But instead of complaining or being stirred to the negative by this situation Ika channels an elegant understanding, and simply works enthusiastically onwards.

Ika has an e-book, a podcast and that third novel in the works, writes a blog at ‘Canvas of Thoughts’, and is a very healthy user of social media.

Thanks for the joyful EAT Ika!

ikawrites.wordpress.com

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