That was the case for local writer, Viji Krishnamoorthy, 58, who took over a decade to finalise her book draft.

That’s why she was caught off guard when her published debut novel not only won her rave reviews by critics, but was longlisted as a potential recipient of the Dublin Literary Award 2023, a prestigious international award for authorship.

Despite her newfound success, she has remained humble, if a little bewildered about the success of “912 Batu Road”, exclaiming: “I never expected to be on any list! I didn’t think anyone would want to read it, really.”

And like most writers, Viji was a “voracious” reader from a very young age. “I used to write letters home and that became part and parcel of my childhood.”

While not a professional novelist, Viji has previously dabbled in writing as a freelancer, which did help to further hone her writing skills.

So, what inspired her to write “912 Batu Road”? She said it was a letter which she wrote to her then-boyfriend and now-husband that started it all.

“It was his birthday and I didn’t know what to give him as a birthday present, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I just write something for him?’”

Thus, she wrote what would become the first chapter of her novel as a birthday present to him, and he liked it so much that he suggested she do something with it.

“So, I thought, ‘What a big mistake I made by doing that!’” Still, her husband’s support and insistence prompted her to get down to work.

Completing the book proved to be a mammoth task, though, and there were several periods when her draft would sit idle in her drawer for weeks.

“From the time I started to the time it got published, a good fifteen years had passed. The writing took three years, but the doing-nothing was a longer period!”

Funnily enough, the reason behind her procrastination largely revolved around her reluctance to let her writings ever see the light of day.

In addition to being concerned about how to deal with negative criticism, it was difficult for Viji to envision herself in the place of her characters.

She said she still finds it surreal that “912 Batu Road” occupies the same list as “The Island of Missing Trees” by Elif Shafak, a personal favourite of hers. “I’m just really humbled and grateful for this,” she said of the Dublin Literary Award longlisting.

Anyhow, what’s “912 Batu Road” about? “It’s a generational story,” explained Viji, with the story following two families in Malaya, one Tamil and one Chinese.

“912 Batu Road” is a historical fiction and drama wrapped in one, with historical figures such as Sybil Kathigasu and Gurchan Singh appearing and interacting with Viji’s fictional characters.

Viji said she included these real-life figures to raise awareness about their contributions to the country, which were oft-forgotten.

“Gurchan Singh? The Lion of Malaya? Nobody really knows him nowadays, but during the Japanese occupation, he used to print posters about what was really happening in the world outside.”

According to Viji, she had to conduct substantial research on these historical personalities as well as the nature of life back in old Malaya.

However, the focus of the story is the two families and the complicated friendship they share.

The story switches back and forth between the past and the present, with the grandchildren of the characters who lived in Malaya, falling in love with each other now, and bringing to the fore the age-old prejudice of interracial marriage.

While parts of “912 Batu Road” are inspired by Viji’s Chindian heritage, she makes it clear that her main characters are quite different from her personally.

For one, the main female character of the story is a “spunky” lass, and her journey through life is difficult when compared to Viji’s.

She expressed her hope that younger Malaysians will find something of interest in her work, since it offers an insight into what life was like back then.

“Wars are not just about losers and victors; it’s about the daily, little things that people do during those times. I hope people are just able to connect with the story.”

“912 Batu Road” is available for purchase at Clarity8 as well as major bookstores nationwide.