On 28 October 2015, 19-year old Xygarathma Lebibi had her second full-length novel, ‘Silent Bird’, launched by socio-political activist and writer Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir.
Ever since she was little, Xygarathma loved to read and her passion for books naturally made her wanted to write. Her first book, ‘Nothing, Something, Everything’, was published by Limkokwing University when she was just 12, and it was the impetus she needed to aim for bigger things.
“I was first encouraged to write a book, by Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing, as he challenged me to write a book as good as Harry Potter,” she recalled.
Having never heard about the young wizard at the time, Xygarathma went on to study the series to find out for herself what made J.K. Rowling’s writings so popular. After finishing the series, Xygarathma saw that the success of the series was not purely because of the words of the book itself, but more because of the feeling of engagement and attachment that it gave to the readers.
“When the series was over I still felt attached to the characters, I still wanted to know what happened next,” she said.
Xygarathma added that “a good book can make readers feel drawn into the characters’ lives and thoughts and make you feel their sorrows and joys. I thought, if my book could achieve this effect with someone, then it would be a success to me.”
Inspired by the concept of how an animal’s conscience and its idea of right and wrong would be translated to human thoughts, Xygarathma then began to develop the story of Shamool, the Silent Bird, and the world that he lived in.
To add depth to her characters, she not only wrote about the world, but also created the book’s concept art and map. She explained that “I wanted each character to have a story, to have a background and a way of thinking, that all added up to their personality to help readers to connect to the characters and the world they live in.”
Xygarathma is currently in the final year of her Animation degree course at Limkokwing University. Commenting on her choice of study, she said that doing animation did not contribute much to her writing technique directly, but the creative aspects of the course have helped to open her mind and made her more confident, turned her from being a shy person to one that have the ability speak her thoughts openly and to speak well in front of crowds. This of course indirectly helped her to write better.
Xygarathma had been at the University since her Foundation studies and said that the multi-culturism of Limkokwing University is very unique and it’s different from other universities that she had visited. She cherishes the diversity that Limkokwing University offers, and said that “It is very free and unique, there are many diverse cultures, so it exposes you to many cultures, which can also help writing by the way.”
Xygarathma hopes that the publication of ‘Silent Bird’ would inspire more Malaysian youths to read and to then write and share their own stories.
“I do hope that I have written something that people can feel connected to. I hope that, small though this book might be, it can inspire more Malaysian writers and maybe get more interests in reading in the country.”
‘Silent Bird’ (ISBN 978-967-13605-0-7) is available at all Borders Bookstore Malaysia outlets.
