As one of our initiatives to support and give more exposure and recognition to local writers and artists, we are introducing a Writer/Artist Feature segment on our social media and website every month to highlight local talent.
We are thrilled to have Lilian Li, the author of the Young Adult novel House of Koi, as our first guest to kick start this month's Meraki Press Writer Feature.
House of Koi was published in December 2019 by New Degree Press. Before we go on to the mini interview we had with Lilian, let's first check out what House of Koi is about!
House of Koi is about identity and learning that, sometimes, your future is waiting for you in your past.
The story follows Mila as she strives to reconcile the person she became in an effort to fit into her American international school with the young girl she was; the girl who spoke Mandarin and Malay with ease. Is it too late to embrace both parts of herself?
When Mila is sent to the top of the mountain to live with her grandmother for a year when her parents go away for business, she cannot avoid her native tongue, even if she does try. To make matters worse, Mila must now attend a local private school, and navigate a world she seems to barely understand.
Everyone keeps telling her that she should not forget her heritage, but this only takes her deeper inside herself. That is until she meets the “Fish Boy” from the bottom of the mountain. Together, they teach one another what the other is best at. However, every time Mila asks about the past, he refuses to answer. She resolves to find out what happened that caused her to be unable to look her grandmother squarely in the eye.
(Source: Goodreads)
A Young Adult novel based in Malaysia with Malaysian characters?! Sign us up! Check out the interview we had with Lilian.
Can you tell us about your writing process?
I have a bit of a roundabout writing process, but I come up with the book titles first. The words House of Koi have been floating in my mind since high school, and I knew I wanted to write a story worthy enough for that name. I also enjoy designing book covers for fun to get an idea of what this story can become visually. Then I think of the first chapter and what journey my character will be on, the names, and what story I wish I want to read. If there’s a story you haven’t seen but want to read, write it!
Why do you choose to write on the topics that you do?
As my first novel, House of Koi is very close to my heart. I was feeling homesick, and writing this book made me feel at home. I thought about my childhood, and while reliving it, I remember my fear of not belonging and the struggle of finding your identity in those fragile teenage years. I wrote this book as a love letter to my younger self because if I read this at that stage of my life, I would feel represented, seen, and know I was not alone.
Why do you choose to write in the genre that you do?
For House of Koi, I chose to write a YA story because I wished there was a lighthearted high school romance book based in my hometown. For other stories I’m working on (all in different genres!), I choose stories I want to read. No one will know my vision better than me! I also want to write more stories that I and many others will feel represented. My current genres to read and (attempt to) write are Young Adult, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.
What is one piece of advice that you have for aspiring writers?
Write for yourself. Don’t compare yourself to other writers and their successes, but write because first and foremost, it’s a story just for you. And if it’s a book you wish you read, I guarantee others will relate to it, too. Trust me, I know.
What effect are you hoping to have with your work?
I want my words to make people, especially Malaysians, feel represented in literature. Growing up, local fiction was not popular, and I am so happy to see a bigger diverse literature movement and hope to join the cause. I also wish that when people pick up House of Koi, they come to love home a little bit more.
What’s your biggest challenge as a writer?
My biggest challenge is my perfectionism. My English teacher once told me that there was no such thing as a perfect essay because you can always keep editing. Writing is the fun part, editing is the real struggle for me because I’m striving for this perfect manuscript that doesn’t exist.
Where can readers purchase your book?
All good bookstores! House of Koi is available in MPH, Popular, and other local bookstores.
We'd like to also point out that House of Koi is also available on Kindle, Amazon and Book Depository as well!
What other additional information would you like to share with us?
House of Koi has many layers of meaning, which I did not actually intend. House because the story is based on my own grandmother’s house. Koi because it’s a symbol for national identity and coincidentally, my grandmother had a lot of koi fish in her pond. I also wanted Koi to be similar to Mila’s last name Chu, which then means House of Chu as it’s about Mila and her family.
Also, this book is dedicated to my grandmother. She shaped such a large part of my life that I didn’t thank her enough for it, so now I have our memories living forever with my book.
Thank you so much Lilian Li for sharing about your writing journey with us! We're exhilarated to see some Malaysian representation in books and we wish you all the best for your future works!
If you would like to follow Lilian on social media, check out her Instagram where she also posts about the books she enjoys reading.
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