MALAYSIANS KINI Nineteen-year-old animation major Xygarathma Lebibi wrote her second book 'Silent Bird', after she was asked to outdo an internationally acclaimed young adult series.

"Lim Kok Wing challenged me by saying he wanted me to do something better than Harry Potter," she told Malaysiakini during an interview at her house last Thursday.

The final-year Limkokwing University student related how she got started on her journey to outdo JK Rowling's mega-favourite.

"I haven't heard of it (the books) then, so I went out and read the whole thing," related the soft-spoken teen.

And after reading and dissecting the UK author's best-selling series, Lebibi said she found out that what really made it so successful was not the tale nor its picturesque and magical setting.

The Harry Potter books were so engaging, she discovered, because of the sense of connection Rowling instilled in readers with her eclectic cadre of characters.

"She (Rowling) makes you feel like you really want to know the characters. Even when the book is over, you want to know what happens next.

"It's that feeling that makes her books a success," she said.

A longer saga

To that end, Lebibi explained how she tried incorporating that same feel into her very own book, 'Silent Bird'.

The fantasy novel is to be the first instalment in what she plans to be a trilogy, set in the Ukan Empire, a realm she created for her tale.

Though she admitted with a laugh that halfway through the writing process, she felt like she might just extend the series into a longer saga.

But 'Silent Bird' was not the first time that this offspring of an Indian father and a Lebanese-German mother ventured into writing. Lebibi published her first book titled 'Nothing, Something, Everything' when she was just 12.

Published by Limkokwing University, the book also included her own hand-drawn illustrations.

A tradition she continued with 'Silent Bird' for which she created her own concept art and illustrations, many of which can be seen at her Tumblr microblog page.

Lebibi said that even before she started writing the book, she planned everything and created the world in which the story is set, to make her story believable.

Writing whatever she wants

She admitted that she chose to write a fantasy novel because she herself likes to read them, and because the genre gives her a lot of freedom to "do whatever she wants with it".

Even though she is challenged to do better than the popular series Harry Potter, she said she also draws her inspiration from other books.

Lebibi said she was inspired to write at such a young age because her mother used to read books like Roald Dahl's books to her and she really enjoyed how imaginative they were.

"When I read, I like to see what makes them successful, what I enjoy about their books.

"I want to put that (feeling) into my books," she said.

Seated in her airy living room in front of her two pet birds - one a cockatoo and the other a mynah - during the interview, Lebibi said the concept for 'Silent Bird' came partly from her pet cockatoo named Patience.

"It's ironic because he is usually not silent at all," she joked.

Though the two birds were quite silent throughout the interview.

"It's because there's a stranger here. Say hello, Patience," she cooed at her pet cockatoo, who remained quiet and merely cocked its head.

Hidden meaning

Asked why her book was named the 'Silent Bird', she was coy and said there's a hidden meaning behind it which will be revealed in future books.

It's not just about her books being successful, as she said she hopes her story will inspire other potential Malaysian writers and to rekindle the culture of reading in Malaysia.

"I feel like not many people read these days and you want that to come back.

"It's kind of sad, most of my friends didn't even want to talk about books, because this generation is all about texting," she lamented.

This culture is reflected even in the publishing industry in the country, she said.

She related that it was not easy for her to find a publisher willing to publish her latest book, adding that 'Silent Book' almost nearly became truly silent, as some publishers did not even bother reading her draft before rejecting it.

A lot of them told her that there is simply no market for it in Malaysia, she said.

Room for talent

Eventually, her aunt found a program called 'Nurturing Young Talents' by Seri Mutiara Developments Sdn Bhd, which is working to nurture talented Malaysian youths.

They agreed to publish her book and on October 28, 2015, her book was launched by social activist Marina Mahathir.

"My (older) brother was also the emcee for the launch," she said, adding that her family is very supportive of her writing and thinks the whole thing is "very cool".

Available at all Borders Malaysia bookstores, she said her books are usually placed in a pretty prominent spot in the bookstores, as they are trying to highlight local writers.

She is currently interning at Xhai Studios, a mobile game, mobile app and web development company, where she designs concept art and game characters.

After graduation, Lebibi plans to continue working at the studio with her animation degree.

"I thought about going into creative writing (major) but it was very difficult to find a good creative writing course.

"So I thought what else can I do, and I thought about animation, because it still has the storytelling element to it and I also like to draw," she said.

Though she enjoys her work at Xhai Studios, she hopes to get her big break some day.

"I would really like to work with companies like Disney or Pixar. That's every animator's dream," she said.

Lebibi is currently working on the second book in her 'Silent Bird' series, as well as a compilation of short stories.

 

 

MALAYSIANS KINI is a series on Malaysians you should know about.

Previously featured:

Engineer, activist, kampung rebel - Yati starts her 50th year anew

Meet the 20-year-old who’s getting an award from Queen E

What if Hang Jebat never stood up to the sultan?

Snubbed by Masterchef, M'sian youth wins over refugees in Greece

The radicalisation of Mandeep Singh - from suits to streets

Razlan Rafii - Umno 'thug' or misunderstood modern man?

Saving Pekan Ampang, the small town in a big city

How the Malay indie publishing mafia sparked a reading renaissance

'Subversive' book club thrives in Shah Alam and beyond

'It's not just punk rock, it's punk ideology'

Paramedic goes 'white to black' to lead medic team at Bersih 4