Flight of fancy

BEFORE she could read and write, little Xygarathma Lebibi (pix) was already creating fantasies and telling stories. Lebibi would illustrate the figments of her imagination, and show her parents storyboards that she made. Learning to read soon made her fall in love with books, and writing became another avenue to express herself.
"I really like to read since I was small. Writing, naturally, is like the next step. It's fun to create your own world," said the Malaysian lass of Indian, Lebanese and German descent.
Last October, the 20-year-old unveiled her second full-length novel, Silent Bird which is set in the ancient world of Ukana where a bird by the name of Shamool is destined to tip the balance of power between opposing tribes Alted and Leeta. The novel, which she first drafted when she was 14, took her two years to rewrite before it got published recently.
"My writing style is very descriptive. I focus more on description than dialogue and other things. I really like fantasy because it gives me the freedom to do whatever I want," shared Lebibi, whose favourite author of the same genre is Robert Jordan. Although she's known more as a writer now, Lebibi has not forgotten her initial method of storytelling. The soft-spoken young woman has a Tumblr page plastered with hand-drawn mythical creatures and utopian paradises which she coloured digitally. She's completing her degree in animation later this year.
"Even with animation, it's still making a story. It's just a different media," said Lebibi.
What's the weirdest comment you have received about your name?
Someone told me that Xyga means rabbit in Russian. That was the weirdest, because normally people would just say my name's hard to pronounce or that it sounds like the name of a game character. This was the first time someone said that it means something in their language.
I know that Shamool was inspired by your pet cockatoo! How much do they resemble each other?
The book is called Silent Bird but my pet is not silent at all! He's a noisy bird. His name is Patience which is ironic too because he's not patient! We have another bird, a mynah named Roshiv.
What inspires your stories?
Random, small things. Sometimes you'll see, say, a chair then you start thinking of a story and what part of the story that chair would come into. For Silent Bird, I saw my bird. It may not be his personality but the story toys with the idea of what an animal would think if it was a human. My stories develop from some sort of weird thought like that.
Which do you prefer: writing or illustrating?
Writing, because there's no visual. When people read, they can imagine it any way they like. It's more open to interpretation than art is.
Describe your most conducive environment for writing.
I need it to be quiet, that's why I usually write at night. And the mood to write, which I normally get when I'm in my room. The inspiration may come from outside but to apply it, I have to be in my room. My desk is really messy, and only I understand the mess. I know where everything is so I don't like it when people tidy it.
How would you encourage people who don't like to read to pick up a book?
I'd say, don't think of it as something you're pressured to do. Reading is not boring when you read things that you like. Kids nowadays don't like a lot of words but they can start by reading graphic novels. They don't realise how it can be fun to read a story. It can teach you a lot, especially literature.
Finally, when can we expect the release of the sequel to Silent Bird?
The sequel has been planned out; I've written the first three chapters. It'll be released this year, hopefully in August.