Home is where heart is!

Indian authors living in Malaysia often maintain a deep connection to their roots in India, blending their diasporic experiences with the rich cultural heritage of their homeland. These writers navigate themes of identity, migration, and belonging, exploring the nuances of living between two cultures. Their works often reflect a synthesis of Indian traditions, languages, and values, while being influenced by the multicultural landscape of Malaysia. Their stories provide a window into the Indian diaspora’s experience in Southeast Asia, keeping alive their ties to India’s literary and cultural legacy while embracing their new environment. Here are three authors living in Malaysia.

Viji Krishnamoorthy

Born to a Tamil father and a Chinese mother, Viji’s native place is Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.“With a debut novel, you write from a place of knowing, where imagery is led by memory of food, smells, language,” says Viji, who studied at a boarding school in Madras between the age of 10 and 15. “Thus, my connection with Tamil Nadu is very strong and deep.”

Tale of Tamil diaspora

Viji observes that some of the works by certain Indian authors were primarily centred around Indian people who moved to the United States. “I never read stories about people like my paati and thatha (grandparents)who migrated to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu. Wouldn’t readers like to know about the lives of us, the Tamil diaspora in not so far-flung South East Asia?,” she says. So, this story needed to be told.

“It’s very heartening when people say that the book 912 Batu Road reminds them of their childhood or their trauma, while reminiscing about places, conversations or experiences recounted by their grandparents,” she adds.

Interestingly, Viji also presents handwritten letters as a main character in the story. “The book is set in two different time zones including war time, during which our value systems and our loyalties are tested. Thus, letters carry our legacy, hopes and dreams and convey love and disappointment. “

Unique title and what’s next

Longlisted for the Dublin Literary Awards 2023, the book definitely has brushstrokes of Viji’s heritage and upbringing. “Calling it a work of complete fiction would be disingenuous. 912 was the number plate of my first car. My Periamma (Aunt) actually surprised me with the fact that my father was born in 912 Batu Road (address) in Malaysia. So,this had to be the title,” she explains. So, what’s next? A historical fiction set against the background of the Communist insurgency of 1948 in Malaysia.

Geetha Krishnan

Geetha K is an educator-turned writer specialising in memoir writing. Her grandparents migrated to Malaysia from Kerala before Malaya gained independence.

“My parents attended local Tamil schools, so I speak the language fluently. Although I grew up in the city, I have vivid recollections of life in the rubber estates and the early struggles and resilience of our people. These stories, along with my experiences of studying in a multicultural environment, sparked my early love for writing, and feature in my published books,” she says.

Exploring various genres

The inspiration for her first novel, The Seat, came while following the campaign trail of a potential member of parliament during the 2018 Malaysian election.

“As a native of Segambut, the book is a subtle exploration of the political change and societal transformation happening in the constituency,” she adds. The protagonist belongs to the only Indian family in a Malay village, and the novel explores Malaysian Indian cultural practices and ancestral roots.

Geetha’s second book, Racket Boy: Where’s My Country?, is a memoir, a collaborative venture with Philip George, a former Malaysian of Indian descent who now resides in Italy. The book was published in England and launched during the Frankfurt Book Fair.

“A memoir is a reminder of the power of real-life stories in today’s world of digital technology and virtual networking,” she explains. A major challenge in writing her debut memoir was streamlining the many stories and recollections and weaving them into a cohesive narrative.

Taking content worldwide

Both novels and memoirs present unique challenges. “For me, memoir or non-fiction feels similar to storytelling, just without the added pressure of inventing characters and plots. Memoir writing is also an intimate process that involves delving deeply into someone’s life,” says Geetha.

“Racket Boy has been made into a docufilm, which Philip and I premiered in Kuala Lumpur. We also toured to India to promote the Indian edition of the book,” she adds. “The Spanish and Italian translations are already out,” she reveals. In addition, The Seat is set to be translated into Malay, and possibly Tamil.

Road ahead

Geetha’s third book chronicles the making of the premier library of Selangor, a state adjacent to Kuala Lumpur, and is set to be published later this year. “It’s a departure from my usual genre, but there’s still plenty of room to highlight the human elements that bring the library to life,” she concludes.

Saras Manickam

Saras’ father, who was from Manamadurai (Tamil Nadu) moved to Malaysia as a young apprentice to a businessman. When Saras first visited her ancestral home in India in 2019, it was a deeply emotional experience. However, her book, ‘My Mother Pattu’ is not entirely drawn from her roots in India. “It’s partly the story of migrants in Malaysia featuring authentic experiences, histories, communities. And I needed to give them a voice so we don’t forget them,” she adds.

My Mother Pattu

“Every single incident in the fourteen stories is a lived experience, just not necessarily mine,” she says. “These were all what I or family, friends, neighbours, acquaintances had experienced. Some, on racial slurs, were taken from newspaper articles.”

The titular story which won the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia, is a nod to her grandmother’s generation, who, despite enormous daily challenges, still found fun and joy in their lives.

It’s ‘our’ story

The book explores the politics of race, identity, belonging, and family, without resorting to playing the victim card. Each story demanded that the writer’s ego take a backseat while writing it, she adds. The book ended up as a quiet celebration of resilience.

“The responses really surprised me. Like: ‘You’ve written about my mother/ grandmother/ me’ Or ‘I didn’t have words to express myself and you said it for me.’ Some Malaysian Indians even said: Let me give you more examples,” she reveals.

Upcoming book

Saras’ next book set in Malaysia talks about resilient women who dare to live the lives they want, and pay the price for their choices for there is no other way to live. The stories explore identity, belonging, relationships, race and religion.