Junior Writers Programme unveils new anthology celebrating youth voices with powerful stories

Shoulders and elbows bumped as proud family members and friends weaved past one another, phones and cameras held high to record the launch of Broken: A Young Writers’ Anthology on Nov 29.

Laughter and applause rang out as a group of teenagers stood near the entrance of the store, cracking jokes into their microphones.

The crowd had gathered at BookXcess in IOI Mall Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Selangor to celebrate the achievements of 20 young authors, aged 12 to 16. The book is the culmination of this year’s Junior Writers Programme (JWP), mentored by editor, trainer and publisher Brigitte Rozario.

The anthology explores the idea of “broken” beyond its physical meaning, touching on friendship, family, mental health and emotional wellbeing.

For many, it was their first published book. Naturally, they and their families were buzzing with excitement.

One of the authors, Roshan Gowreesan, 15, wrote about a swimmer who turns to steroids to gain a competitive edge.

“My story, The Record, is entirely fictional,” he said, sounding almost embarrassed. “If it were based on me, I would be arrested!”

Roshan is an aspiring filmmaker who dreams of writing his own screenplays – an opportunity JWP gave him by expanding his horizons in storytelling.

His creativity flows into his writing, just like the blood in the gory horror films he hopes to make one day, inspired by directors like Guillermo Del Toro and authors Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft.

“When writing this story, I imagined it as a motion picture and translated those scenes into words,” he said, when asked how well a written piece captured his creative vision.

“To be honest, I had intended to explore body horror, but had to pull it back significantly. That concept would certainly have been more effective and impactful as a motion picture.”

Roshan admitted he doesn’t like predictable happy endings and prefers to leave his audience in shock.

Another 15-year-old, Alethea Anjali Ooi, explored the freedom to carve one’s own path in her story, Stories and Sounds.

“With this story, I want to show younger readers that choosing their own path is a powerful act. Holding on to our dreams – and trusting our own direction – can lead us somewhere unexpectedly hopeful,” she said.

Music, a large part of Alethea’s life, is woven throughout her story. In discovering her own independence from her parents, the protagonist of Stories and Sounds attempts to save the Penang House of Music (PHoM), which closed last year.

Alethea said her first visit to PHoM has stayed with her. The museum, founded by Penang Island Jazz Festival director and music curator Paul Augustin, operated as an interactive gallery showcasing Malaysia’s musical heritage.

It helped preserve the legacies of iconic musicians, including the late Datuk Ooi Eow Jin, Alethea’s grand-uncle.

Although Augustin had to shutter the museum due to a lack of funds, Alethea has a quiet hope that her story will reignite interest in PHoM.

“My hope is that it inspires young Malaysians to feel a stronger sense of pride, patriotism and connection to our heritage. For those outside Malaysia, I hope it opens a door to discovering the Penang House of Music and appreciating the beauty of this piece of our cultural story.

“PHoM represents an important part of our national history – one we shouldn’t allow to fade away.”

Among the items in the anthology is a broken mask. Alyssa Lim Jia En, 13, gives it her own interpretation in Facade, a moving tale about a girl who masks her autism until it finally slips and cracks, revealing her truth.

“We mask for the same reasons: to fit in, to be liked, and so we aren’t the odd one out,” Alyssa said about her protagonist.

“But it’s very tiring to mask, to pretend you’re someone you’re not, and to worry that one day, someone will discover the real you and not like you anymore.”

Alyssa was diagnosed at 12 with a form of autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Though supported by family and friends, she knows the general public may not understand what she endures daily, and may judge her based on expectations of “normal” behaviour.

She admitted feeling some apprehension about writing something so personal, but she believes sharing her experience can help others.

“It deserves to be out there, even if some people don’t get it. I hope people relate to the story, whether they’re autistic or not, and that it makes them feel better about themselves.

“I used to think something was wrong with me. I want other neurodivergent people to know there’s nothing wrong with them. Our brains are just wired differently.”

The launch was especially meaningful because it also celebrated writers from past JWP editions. Last year’s cohort presented a mock cheque for RM2,233 to Yap Mei Kuen, Shelter Supervisor at Yayasan Chow Kit – the royalties from the sales of JWP2024’s Through the Window.

Representatives from JWP2018, 2019 and 2020 were also present to hand over mock cheques from the royalties of Spiral Through Time, Writing KL and Lives Under Lockdown, published by MPH Group Publishing.

Spiral Through Time (2018) generated RM2,493.82, while Writing KL (2019) contributed RM677.74 – a combined total of RM3,171.56.

A further cheque for RM1,000 was presented to Dila Nasir, Manager of Advocacy & Branding at Thrive Well. (The royalties totalled RM227.01, with the remaining amount topped up by a parent of one of the writers.)

Each JWP book contributes its royalties to a selected charity.

This year, the royalties from Broken will support Thrive Well, a community social enterprise focused on expanding trauma-informed mental health services.

Broken is priced at RM33.90 and is available at BookXcess outlets and on its website.