Our Team!

Joy Chen (she/her) is a Co-Founder and the Editor-in-Chief for XinSai Magazine, currently living in Hong Kong but with roots in Beijing, China. She is an alumnus of the Iowa Young Writer’s Studio and is passionate about the arts, philosphy and human rights, having had work featured in Cathartic Lit and orangepeel magazine, HKAEA, the Sovereign Arts Foundation and more. She has too many unfinished ideas. You can find her with a brush or a book in her hand, somewhere in a large body of water, or roaming around the streets of Hong Kong creepily taking photos of strangers.

Maja Timis (she/her) is one of the co-founders and Marketing Director of XinSai Magazine. Having moved to an international school on a different continent, she fell in love with travelling. As a strong believer in “understanding before helping” Maja wishes to learn how other people perceive the world and its flaws in order to one day make it a just place. As in her free time she enjoys listening to music, watching live performances and analysing lyrics, she is that friend who relentlessly asks for new music recommendations.

Aren Hakhverdyan (he/him) is the Creative Director of XinSai Magazine. He was born and lived in Armenia for 17 years before he moved to Hong-Kong and is currently a high school student. He was in charge of some of the Armenian local cafe designs. Aren was a volunteer back home and was responsible for helping organise events for his city. He is interested in exploring Chinese culture and art, giving him more opportunities to widen his skills and worldview.

Jasmine Saul (she/her) is a Malay-Australian editor for XinSai Magazine and a junior in high school, living in Taipei, Taiwan. Whether it’s oil painting or creative writing, she has always found comfort in having the creative autonomy to use art forms as a vessel to bring her imagination to fruition. She is a lover of good Australian music and can go into long, unrelenting discussions on the books she loves, and even more so for the ones she heavily dislikes.

Hannah Wong (she/her) is one of the editors of XinSai Magazine. She was born and raised in Hong Kong and is a junior in high school. She joined the School Newspaper production team in her previous school where she interviewed people and wrote cool articles. Her current individual project is reading and actually understanding the epic Iliad by Homer, motivated by her surprisingly long Ancient Greece civilisation phase. She has also been watching true crime shows with rice cakes and marmalade due to her gluten intolerance.

Jed Canlobo (he/him) is one of the co-founders and Outreach Director of XinSai Magazine. From the pearl of the orient seas, he is a Swagapino (Swaggy Filipino) who is currently studying as a scholar in Hong Kong, and researcher-activist who is passionate about social justice and human rights on the side. In his free time, you can see Jed either chilling or writing his thoughts down. For Jed, his pen and creative (and crazy) mind are his greatest weapons.

Houda Saliba (She/Her) is the Social Media Director for XinSai Magazine. She was born and raised in Beirut Lebanon. She is now studying in Hong Kong. She has a creative mind set and take on life, and loves exploring new countries and cultures. She has previously competed in several creative projects and competitions while winning several awards with institutions such as NASA and the UN.

Mohammed Al’Awaadi (he/him) is the Research and Advocacy Director and Leading Staff Writer of XinSai Magazine. He is from Iraq, currently in Hong Kong, aged 18. Loves poetry and political economy. Writes, sometimes emotionally and other times academically. Fluctuates between unfettered arrogance and emotional vulnerability, he seems unsure of what he wants but knows he wants it. If asked about his beliefs about anything, he'd tell you that his idols are dead and his enemies are in power.

Willow Kang Liew Bei (she/her) is a writer from Singapore, where she is studying. Her current preoccupations include taking naps, and listening to music. While not in school, Willow reads a copious amount of fairytales and writes the same way to keep herself sane. Coffee breaks are also on her mind. She runs a kofi shop at ko-fi.com/oldmanheart. Willow's work has appeared in Blue Bottle Journal, Wintermute Literature, and Origami Review. She is an editor for XinSai Magazine, and manages the Meditating Cat Zine.

Nicole Lau (she/her) is one of the editors of Xin Sai Magazine. She is currently a Y11 studying in Hong Kong, where she can usually be found stressing over exams and writing in some form or other. A romanticist, Nicole loves literature and music. She listens to a wide range of genres, including kpop, alternative rock and classical music. In her free time, she goes to bookstores to people-watch and to spend all of her money. Some of her other hobbies are taking photos, playing the piano and seeing what her friends are up to. She’s quite prone to boredom.

Hailey Wong (she/her) is one of the co-founders and Managing Director of XinSai Magazine. She is a student-athlete and is fascinated by written literary work and its forms of expression. Growing up, her love for reading started with The Magic School Bus and The Land of Stories, and it has continued to grow as she slowly expanded to appreciating plays and poetry. Her favourite poets are Emily Dickinson and William Blake. As a mental health advocate, Hailey founded Because Mental Health in the Summer of 2021 and is looking forward to creatively expressing a form of catharsis for this fast-paced, overwhelming generation with all of you.

Chloe Brooke (she/her) is the Content Director. She was born in the Philippines and is now a student in Hong Kong. Being ethnically Filipino, Chinese and British has fostered an insatiable curiosity for the world's cultural diversity that never ceases to stop. Her free-spirited personality stems from her theatrical background, as she has performed in Shouson theatre and written spoken word for HKYAF. You can find her snapping shots for @ochloi, editing videos, or creating Spotify playlists for every mood she has. She never misses an opportunity to express herself or to crack a dad joke.

Sophia Mok (she/her) is the Deputy Head of External Affairs of XinSai Magazine. She’s a responsible middle sibling, passionate master chef, and adventurous explorer who’s currently studying as a graduating senior in Hong Kong. She’s a living social battery whose energetic and sociable, but recharges through solo time, whether it's reading, working out, singing… As the leader and editor of her previous school’s newsletter, and volunteer mentor teaching English, mathematics, and sciences to financially-underprivileged children, Sophia aspires to use writing and education to transform lives, and empower those unable to access quality education.

Kimmi Lynn (she/her) is one of the editors of XinSai Magazine. She is currently in Grade 11 and studying in Hong Kong. She is deeply moved by the rhythm and lyrics of music, with Lewis Capaldi, James Arthur, and Alessia Cara among her top three favourite singer/songwriters. Listening to music and bullet journaling are her outlets for relieving stress. Her hobbies include rock climbing, snorkelling, baking, scrapbooking, and camping. Her favourite genre is romantic comedy (rom-com); her favourite movie is “50 First Dates” starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.