Cookie Noh

What was your favorite book as a child?

My younger self often drifted back to Sano Yoko’s The Cat Who Lived a Million Times. The single line near the end — “Then, for the first time, the cat cried.” — would still strike a deep, lingering chord in my heart, even if I were to turn its pages once again today.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

It all began at a public library after work, during a ten-week book club. Unexpectedly, I found myself writing my very first poem. For someone who had studied physics, it was a seismic shift in my daily life. No one knew that, five years later, my poem would be published in a major daily on New Year’s Day.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

I would have to say pivoting my career to become a professional writer. I felt as if I was finally exploring my real world, leaving behind the other possibilities I had dreamed of. It was nothing short of an adventure, sparked by a moment of fearless creativity.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

Every time I sit at my desk to write, there is a certain melody that leads me. It is a ritual to unlock the door within my mind. For about thirty minutes, I immerse myself, opening all my senses in a meditative warm-up while waiting for the words to flow.