K. Pragalath is a writer who works as a copy editor at a Malaysian news website. Previously he was a journalist with several news portals including Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today, Berita Daily, and The Leaders Online. Pragalath is also involved in digital marketing, especially content marketing, for a variety of sectors. He has also been involved in fiction writing and has authored two short stories in Bahasa Malaysia.
Pragalath was part of the Malaysian
Writers and Readers Get Together event on 14 May 2023. He
shares his writing experience in an interview conducted by Uthaya Sankar SB.
What was your ambition as a
child?
I think it
was a lawyer, thanks to all the English court room serials and Indian movies.
When did you first realise you
wanted to be a writer?
The need to
be a writer was triggered when I realized that the pen is mightier than the
sword.
Who are your favourite Malaysian
authors?
This is a
tough one since I don’t read many works of Malaysian writers. For Bahasa
Malaysia at least, it would be Uthaya Sankar SB and some authors who published
with Fixi.
Where do you get your ideas or
information for your writings?
Current news and personal experiences.
Which was your hardest book/piece
to write?
I haven’t come
across yet since I haven’t written much.
What’s your latest writing
project?
I haven’t written
any in the immediate past.
What do you do when you are not
writing or reading?
I watch
movies and observe crowds.
Tell us about your full-time job.
I am currently
a copy editor with a Malay news portal where I clear copies and rewrite news stories.
What does your family think of
your writings?
They are
supportive of my work.
How do you handle writer’s block?
I stop
writing and do some other things instead of opting to overthink about it.
If one of your writing/book should
be translated into another language, which one would you choose and why?
I am not
very sure about that because the esthetics of a language tends to dissipate
when it is translated to another language.
How would you promote/sell your
books?
All social
media platforms, including Facebook,
would be used if I were to promote my books.
Date: 29 May 2023