PETALING JAYA, Jan 12 — Many people discover their true calling early in life, but for award-winning author Mohana Gill, that defining moment arrived at the age of 70, a turning point that reshaped the next chapter of her life.
Two decades later, Mohana, whose full name is Mohana Rosie Gill, remains creatively active at 90, continuing to write with undiminished passion while many of her contemporaries have chosen to slow down or devote their time entirely to family and grandchildren.
Known for her inspiring works on healthy living, plant-based cuisine and children’s storytelling, Mohana has published more than 20 books.
Reflecting on her journey at her home in Bukit Gasing here recently, the Myanmar-born author said writing became possible only after her children had grown up, giving her the time and space to focus on her personal interests.
“I never thought too much about it, I just wrote. But it was only after I wrote my first book that I truly had an identity as Mohana Gill. Before that, I was known as Mrs Gill, Dr Gill’s wife, and everyone called me Rose.
“Mohana is actually my real name, but I had never used it before. When I started writing, I did not want to continue using the name Rose because it sounded too Western. At 70, Mohana Gill was ‘born’, and since then, I have been known as a writer,” she told Bernama.
Mohana lived and grew up in Myanmar before coming to Malaysia as an expatriate, serving as a lecturer at several institutions of higher learning, including Universiti Malaya.
She then married Malaysian doctor Satwant Singh Gill, who is now 93, and obtained Malaysian citizenship in 1968, and went on to make Malaysia her home.
Motherhood and later grandmotherhood nurtured a strong commitment to healthy eating within her family, a value she believes is essential for well-being and growth, and one she now shares with a wider audience through her books.
Her first book, titled Fruitastic, was published in 2006. It combines nutritional knowledge with fruit-based recipes.
“I started with (writing about) fruits because my husband enjoys eating fruit and often reminded me that fruits are good for health. Instead of writing about dishes that had already been widely covered, I thought it would be better to write about fruits before expanding to vegetables and eventually children’s books,” she said.
The success of Fruitastic proved to be a defining milestone, paving the way for a diverse body of work that bridged food, culture and well-being, including Vegemania (2006), Myanmar Cuisine, Culture and Customs (2014), Happylicious (2015), Flowerlicious (2019) and Moringalicious (2023).
Mohana has also written more than 12 children’s books centred on healthy eating and food awareness, some of which have been published internationally and recognised for their educational value.
Her contributions have also earned international acclaim. At the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month, Fruitastic received the ‘Best of the Best’ accolade under the ‘Malaysia in the World’ category, while Moringalicious was recognised under ‘Food Culture in the World’.
Mohana continues to lead an active daily life, spending her time reading, knitting and cooking, while maintaining a balanced, vegetable-based diet, habits she credits for sustaining both her health and creativity.
“For me, age is not a barrier. As long as we can still think, move and do something meaningful, we can continue to contribute,” she said, adding that gratitude and self-acceptance are central to ageing well.
Mohana is currently working on a new children’s book titled Malaysian Treasure, which weaves elements of local heritage, a project she hopes will become a lasting gift for future generations. — Bernama
