Kirsten Han

I’m a writer, journalist and activist from Singapore. Apart from running We, The Citizens, a newsletter covering Singapore from a rights-based perspective, I’m also managing editor of Mekong Review, an Asia-focused literary journal. I’m a member of the Transformative Justice Collective, where I work towards an end to both the death penalty and the War on Drugs.

  • Writing with feeling

    I, too, want to be a writer and creator who feels free. But there are some days when I wonder if it’s too late to unravel the knots I’ve tied myself up in.

  • An inner expedition

    Reflections on a period of learning and self-discovery. (I won’t say “rediscovering” because I’m not convinced I knew who I was before.) I have no idea where this is going to end up; all I can work towards is a “clear-seeing kindness”.

  • Vestiges

    Turns out that you don’t get over anxiety, trauma and stress just because you’ve decided that you want it to happen.

On this website you’ll find my bio and a way to contact me, but also my personal blog, where I share random musings about life in general… basically, writing that doesn’t fit in work spaces.

  • Small, but certain

    Here we are at the end of January 2024. This year has already been pretty brutal, and I haven’t figured my life out yet. But I did buy a rice cooker, so I’m going to count on the small wins.

  • Transformations

    I turned 35 a little more than a month ago. It’s an age I never imagined as a child, but now I find that I’m at a stage in life where I’m not just contemplating, but also embracing, change.

  • Maoler

    A farewell to Maoler, a beloved family cat with a very serious face.

  • My heart ached all day

    On grief, mine and others, and when there is just too much of it coming from all directions.

  • Oh yeah, I wrote a book

    It’s been about a month since the launch of my book, The Singapore I Recognise: Essays on home, community and hope. I’m still trying to process my messy feelings about this. Sometimes it feels as if it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. Sometimes it feels like ancient history.

  • Inspiration (kind of) hits

    For the first time in quite a long time, I really want to write. I want to watch the letters appearing on screen, the words forming before my eyes. For the first time in awhile, it feels like it’s flowing quite nicely.