They may be young, but this did not stop 20 teenage writers from sharing their stories of intrigue and mystery in their first book – ‘Secret & Lies’.
Aged between 12-14, the young Malaysian writers worked hard to produce stories of family secrets, friends concealing things from each other, conformity, and breaking all the rules.
The teens’ literary work was the highlight of their seven-month training stint under the Junior Writers Programme by journalist-author-editor-trainer, Brigitte Rozario.
The book was launched at BookXcess in Tropicana Gardens Mall, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, on Dec 17. The event was attended by the young writers, their families, and friends.
Lim Xi, 13, is a city boy who wrote a story from the perspective of a Malay kampung (village) boy in his work, titled ‘Ayah’ (Father).
He said he chose this character as it was the best way to stay grounded within the local culture and its people. He relied on anecdotes from friends who would visit their kampung regularly, for a perspective on life in a village.
Shashini Vijaya Kumar, who wrote about peer pressure and the desire for acceptance in her story ‘More Like a Girl’, said she believes Malaysians, especially the younger generation, needed a stronger voice when it comes to issues regarding the LGBTQ+ community.
“There are too many incidents of violence and disrespect toward transgendered people in this country, and it is setting an execrable example for Malaysian children, while threatening their safety, as well,” said the 14-year-old.
She admitted to being nervous about what others might think of her writing, as it highlights experiences she has not gone through.
“I can only hope that I was able to capture the feelings of people who relate to my story.”
Natasha Lynn Amran said her story, titled ‘Things Not Said’, is about a girl dealing with her alcoholic single mum.
She said she tried to put herself in the protagonist’s shoes, and also researched health problems and symptoms, to make her story more realistic.
Natasha, 14, believes many across the world faced the same problems as her protagonist, who is frustrated at having to be the parent and look after her mother.
Rozario, who edited ‘Secret & Lies’, said the junior writers did well to dig deep, and flesh out the characters in their stories.
“The writers struggled initially to come up with story ideas for the theme. But they pulled through and delivered stories about family, friends, and the community,” said Rozario.
“Some stories challenge us to think about how we treat others, and our expectations of others,” she added.
This is the Junior Writers Programme’s fifth year, and ‘Secret & Lies’ is the latest book. Rozario thanked many, including the parents of the junior writers.
“The parents were the ones who diligently checked emails, reminded their children of the work due, and even made sure that deadlines were met. Without you (them) the book would not be published today,” she said.
“To the junior writers, take a bow. I applaud you for all your hard work, putting in the time and the energy to make sure your stories were perfect and on a par with the standards set by the previous Junior Writers Programme participants.”
Twentytwo13, will be publishing excerpts of selected stories from ‘Secret & Lies’ in its Young Voices column in the coming weeks.
‘Secret & Lies’, at RM31.90, is available at BookXcess. Royalties from the sale of the books will be channelled to Thrive Well’s (formerly SOLS Health) community centres.
