Amplifying Malaysian voices in their writing

WITH a stroke of a pen or a tap on a keyboard, writers have the power to weave their ideas into stories that can often touch the heart and soul.

Some are content for their words to be a form of self-expression, but for others, sharing their writing is a must.

Beyond getting their works published, the other challenge is ensuring their stories and poems are read and appreciated on a wider scale.

Fortunately, budding writers can take inspiration from several young local authors with published works to their name.

A university-based writers society also aims to provide a sounding board and supportive environment to fellow creatives.

Local settings

Li hopes her books convey a sense of Malaysian identity.For author Lilian Li, 25, every tap of her keyboard transforms her ideas into words.

“My parents always encouraged me to write diaries since I was a kid, so I gradually picked up the habit of writing every day.

“I have a vivid imagination, and I wanted to see how it would translate into words, so I started writing stories for fun,” Li recalled.

She published her first book, House of Koi, a story about a Malaysian girl’s relationship with her grandmother, under hybrid publishing.

Li explained that the publisher helped bring out her book but she had to market the work herself.

She decided to self-publish her second book, Duet Me Not, a sports romance on the national synchronised swimming team.

“My journey felt like a roller coaster ride as for various reasons, I had to pull my first book out of stores.

“This happened while I was still trying to pitch my other work so the future was unclear.

“I wanted control, so I wrote Duet Me Not for fun and self-published it,” she said.

Determined to share Malaysian culture, Li incorporates local elements in her stories.

“I want to convey a sense of Malaysianness in hopes that when people read my works, they could see themselves in the characters and feel a sense of belonging.

“I hope young Malaysian writers could work towards writing local stories that encapsulate our culture because there is still so little of it out there,” she said.

Recently, Li won third prize under the fiction category at the 14th edition of the Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Awards (RCA).

“I hope this inspires aspiring Malaysian writers that our stories do matter and are being heard,” she said.

Authenticity matters

Frappes for Three is based on Vidhya’s university experience.Vidhya Sathyamoorthy, 32, said when she first started writing, her main characters would always be based in other countries.

“I grew up reading stories set in the West, but I could not relate to the story, characters and settings that I was writing about.

“I found it easier to write from a Malaysian perspective because I am writing about the things I grew up and am familiar with.”

Frappes for Three is Vidhya’s first shot at long-form fiction, based on her experience studying at a university in the Klang Valley.

“It was a nice way to revisit good, old memories.

“I never imagined that it would come out as a book under traditional publishing.

“I am glad that my overall journey was smooth, even though I did face rejection from some publishers in the beginning,” she said.

Vidhya agrees that young Malaysian writers should be encouraged to write local stories.

“They should not think that writing Malaysian stories will get them low readership.

“People are always excited to read characters that they can relate to,” she said.

Nadiah’s first book features Malaysian black magic elements.Similarly, Nadiah Zakariah, 25, and Farah Liyana, 26, were used to writing western stories before gradually transitioning to local themes.

Nadiah said the course of her writing changed after her lecturer pointed out the lack of local elements in her stories during her first year in university.

Farah said her professors pushed her to start writing more Malaysian-oriented fantasy.

Both authors said they felt more connected writing local stories, so they started penning tales that resonate with them.

Nadiah’s first novella, Bane of Widuri, a dark fantasy about a woman manipulating seven orphaned girls to stay youthful features susuk, a form of black magic.

“I wanted to be one of the few local writers to explore the dark fantasy genre.”

She noted there is a wealth of source material that writers could turn to.

While confined in the cancer ward, Farah wrote her first novel, Be Kind, Rewind, inspired by popular folktale Si Tanggang.

“I started writing more as a distraction from the pain. Be Kind, Rewind is one of the many manuscripts I produced, which explores the moral dilemma of youth.

“Instead of reminiscing about the past, I wanted to write about what could or may happen in the future, inspired by our folktales.

Farah wanted to contribute to local science fiction writing.“There is not much local science fiction out there, so I wanted to challenge myself,” she said.

Poetry and pictures

For Euan Thum, 25, words flow like lyrics.

He decided to dabble in poetry when he was in Form Three as he found poems to be shorter and easier to write.

“I was encouraged by my brother to submit my poems to an online poetry page.

“I learnt a lot from the feedback I received and continued to write.

“My writing became more blunt and direct, inspired by singer-songwriters like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey.”

Thum approaches writing by combining pictures and poems, similar to how singers combine their concept photos and lyrics in their albums.

This is evident in his self- published works, After All and What is Forever.

“I do not just want to write one-off stories, but have a body of work.

Thum’s poetry books combine pictures and words.“I collect my poems and compile them to create a bigger story.

“Everything is designed with a music album in mind,” said Thum, adding that he has a Malaysian themed collection in mind.

As a literature enthusiast, Thum hoped young Malaysians would write local stories.

“Our stories and culture should be heard. We need more representations of them in literature,” he said.

Thum added that writing in the local scene could be challenging, so it was important to have writing communities that could support authors in their journey.

Supportive community

Driven by a passion for creative writing, a university-based writing society was set up to bring young Malaysian writers together.

University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) Writers’ Society president Phoebe Heather Law, 23, said the society was formed in 2019.

“It can be hard to find a community of people engaged in the writing process.

“This society aims to bring these people together and let them know that they are not alone,” she said.

Member Khor Jinming, 22, said the society allowed him to interact with other writers, show his works and get constructive feedback.

“Through this platform, we are exposed to each other’s thoughts and ideas.

“This inspires us and contribute to the evolution of our writings.”

Law hopes the society can help the public know that there are local writing talents eager to tell their stories.

“We want to share the different facets and aspects of creative writing with others.

“We exist and will continue to tell our stories and culture through our words in the most authentic way,” she said.