Chong Lee Choo
Editor-in-Chief of Penang City Eye<
About Chong Lee Choo
Graduating with a degree from the School of Humanities at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Chong Lee Choo wears many hats: editor-in-chief of Penang City Eye, columnist, special reporter, and curator of cultural exhibitions. She's a veteran Malaysian media professional and an important advocate for the community publishing industry.
Her work leads readers to look at their cities anew, tracing out how they feel about their cities – striking a chord within them. She meticulously records the true face of cities and their people with literary flair and journalistic precision. This has won her numerous awards: Sin Chew's Hua Zong Literature Award for Reportage, the Datuk Wong Kee Tat Journalism Awards, and the Ministry of Health's Media Award for best Mandarin-language journalism. And she's been interviewed for her work both at home and abroad, including by Taiwan's VERSE, Malaysiakini, and China's Hua Xian Talk podcast.
In 2023, Lee Choo founded Book Island, a bookstore which enables her to continue promoting local readership, cultural exchange, and connections within the community, allowing words and the city to breathe together.